Polling starts in Andhra Pradesh for Lok Sabha, assembly

Balloting in Andhra Pradesh for 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 assembly seats in Seemandhra region began Wednesday, officials said.

Polling for the parliamentary seats and the state assembly is being held simultaneously.

As many as 335 candidates are in the fray for the Lok Sabha.

Former union minister D. Purandeswari, daughter of N.T. Rama Rao, is fighting from Rajampet Lok Sabha seat as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate.

In the assembly polls for Seemandhra region, chief ministerial hopeful and Telugu Desam Party state president N. Chandrababu Naidu is contesting from Kuppam assembly constituency.

Another chief ministerial aspirant and YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is fighting his first ever assembly election from the family stronghold Pulivendula.

The state will be formally divided June 2, and is currently under president's rule.