It is only 11 days more for the final May 23 counting cum results. AP CM Chandrababu Naidu is busy holding review meetings with the party leaders from the districts. MP and MLA candidates along with mandal level leaders and counting agents are participating. Naidu has told them about his latest calculation that the TDP is winning with more than 110 seats. There are reports that the CM has arrived at this figure after booth level micro surveys which were conducted all over.

The interesting part is that this time there would be either huge majorities or narrow majorities. Naidu is alerting his party counting agents and leaders to be very cautious. Particularly, there needs to be extra caution in segments where very narrow majorities are expected.

The TDP leaders have begun speculation on the seats where majorities would come down and what would be the factors responsible for the same. There are reports in some pockets the welfare beneficiaries like old aged people and women resorted to cross voting to a little extent. TDP leaders are failing to guess the actual percentage of this cross voting.

AP CM and TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu is dominating the first phase of election campaign with his sharpened criticism against rivals. His main target is now the faction and murder politics that is the hallmark of YSR and Jaganmohan Reddy’s leadership. As there is much media and public attention on recent murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy in Pulivendula, Naidu is bringing up this issue again and again to grab voters’ attention.

This nasty murder politics is not necessary in our areas and this should be prevented by defeating all the YCP candidates here, Naidu tells voters in North Coastal and Godavari districts. At the same time, he talks about his pet themes of development and welfare politics.

Chandrababu tells voters if they cast their votes for Jagan, then there is no doubt he will transform the entire state into a ‘Nerandhra Pradesh’ (Criminalised AP). There will be goodas and rowdies in every street as general life becomes very difficult. The YCP leaders are not able to come out with strong counters to Naidu’s attack. Jagan is giving confident speeches on his becoming CM but not able to condemn TDP campaign on faction murders.

As the election mood is turning somewhat favourable, TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu has come out with Mission 150 seats for the April 11 Assembly election. It is no doubt on the higher compared to the party’s past performance. To win 150 out of the total 175 seats, the party will require vote share in the range of 40 to 44 per cent. Is it possible in the present election which is going to witness Pawan Kalyan trying to claim his share of the cake?

Analysts say the TDP will stand to gain if its vote share touches anywhere above 37 per cent. In 2009 elections, Congress won 156 seats in United AP and formed the government by getting 36.56 per cent vote share. In that election, TDP lagged behind with 28.12 per cent while Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party got 16.22 per cent and TRS got 3.99 per cent.

After winning 2014 election, Chandrababu introduced such programmes to get the support of all sections of the people. Now he is banking heavily on support from his welfare schemes for DWCRA women, farmers, young people and pension beneficiaries in rural areas. Development, efficient execution of projects like Polavaram and Amavarati capital city are added advantages. Non-fulfillment of special status by Modi government also benefits TDP. Rivals are split and Pawan Kalyan is contesting alone. All these factors have made Chandrababu confident of getting considerable vote share enough to touch the 150 mark.