Riding high on an anti-incumbency wave, a resurgent Congress and its main ally -- the Telangana Rajya Samithi -- surged ahead in Andhra Pradesh assembly election establishing early leads in 172 constituencies, while the ruling Telugu Desam Party was ahead in 58 seats.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was leading over his nearest Congress rival, M Subramanyam Reddy, in Kuppam in Chittoor district by about 15,000 votes in the fifth round of counting.
Several ministers, including S Chandramohan Reddy (Sarvepally in Nellore district), V Shobhanadreshwar Rao (Mydukur, Krishna district), Mutyam Reddy (Dommat, Medak district), Babu Mohan (Andhole, Medak) and N Narasimha Rao (Machilipatnam, Krishna) were trailing.
The TRS, facing an assembly election for the first time in alliance with the Congress, is surging ahead in the Telangana region comprising Karimnagar, Medak, Warangal and Nizamabad districts.
According to the trends available after completion of initial rounds of counting, Congress' victory march appeared spread across the state.
The TRS gained leads in Jadcherla, Vikarabad, Medchal, Siddipeta, Commat, Sangareddy, Ramayampet, Armoor, Yellareddy, Dichpalli, Mudhole.
Its candidates were ahead in at least five reserved constituencies of Boath, Khanapur, Ghanpur, Parkal and Alair.
In Jukkal and Andolre reserved constituencies the TDP was ahead. It was also ahead in Ichapuram, Harsichandrapuram, Patapatnam, Gajapathinagaram, Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Paravada, Elamanchili, Narsipatnam, and Narasapur.
The contest is close in many places, including Tuni, where initially the Congress candidate was ahead, but later the TDP
contestant stole the lead.
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