Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress has made strong gains in the state. It is leading in 22 seats in Andhra Pradesh. The TDP's score is a distant three.

In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP had won three seats in Lok Sabha elections 2014. The Telugu Desam, on the other hand, emerged victorious in 16 constituencies while the Telangana Rashtra Samithi won 11.

This was, of course, before the Telangana state was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. The undivided state had 42 seats while the smaller Andhra Pradesh has 25.

Illustration by Rahul Awasthi

Around 91 per cent of the population of the state is Hindu while around 7 per cent are Muslims.

Since the elections to the state Assembly were held along with the Lok Sabha elections, it is difficult to show how the state votes on the lines of caste, region and religion. But at least two exit polls predict that Chandrababu Naidu has done enough to return to power as chief minister.

Farm-related issues and caste and regional politics dominate the election narrative in the state.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, bill was passed by Parliament in 2014 to form the Telangana state comprising ten districts, marking this as the most disruptive event in the region in the past five years. The passing of the bill was preceded by protests in the Rayalseema and Coastal Andhra regions.