2 ex-CMs, 3 ex-Union ministers testing their luck in AP polls

Two former chief ministers, including Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu, and three former Union ministers, including BJP State chief Daggubati Purandeswari, are testing their luck in the election in Andhra Pradesh.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who held the post of chief minister for 14 years and Leader of the Opposition for 15 years is contesting from Kuppam Assembly constituency in the election. He has won seven times since 1989 in succession to the Assembly from the same constituency in Chittoor district. However, Naidu has faced tough competition from the YSRCP candidate KRJ Bharat in the 2024 election.
Another former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is contesting for Lok Sabha from Rajampet constituency. Kiran Kumar Reddy was a senior Congress leader who was the chief minister of the undivided AP state from  2010 to 2014. However, he quit the party after bifurcation of combined AP against his wishes and joined the BJP. He contested from Rajampet to LS which is bastion for the YSRCP facing a strong competition from YSRCP candidate PV Mithun Reddy, who is close relative of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Another prominent leader in AP, former minister D Purandeswari is in fray  from Rajahmundry constituency.  Interestingly, Purandeswari is the daughter of TDP founder  and former chief minister NT Rama Rao. She is also sister-in-law of N Chandrababu Naidu. Purandeswari joined the Congress in 2004, was elected to Lok Sabha from Visakhapatnam constituency. She was again elected to LS from the same constituency and was inducted into the Union Cabinet by then PM Manmohan Singh.
However, she quit the Congress opposing the bifurcation of the combined AP state and joined the BJP. Another former Union Minister Y Sujana Chowdary was the TDP leader but he quit the party when it exited from the NDA in 2017 and later joined the BJP.
Sujana Chowdary contested to the Assembly from Vijayawada (West) constituency. He was the Union Minister of State Science for three years in the Narendra Modi Cabinet.
Another former Union minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy has contested to the Assembly from dhone constituency. He is facing a stiff competition from Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy.
Film hero turned politician and Jana Sena chief K Pawan Kalyan is contesting for the Assembly from Pithapuram constituency and faced a tough competition from YSRCP candidate and Kakinada MP Vanga Geeta.
Noted industrialist and political novice P Chandrasekhar has contested to LS from Guntur constituency, retired IPS officer T Krishna Prasad has contested from Bapatla constituency and another industrialist Magunta Srinivasa Reddy has contested to LS from Ongole constituency from on TDP tickets.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has contested to the Assembly from his foresters Pulivendula constituency.  Meanwhile, the stage has been set for the counting of votes across the State on June 4. The election officials prohibited taking out victory rallies and bursting crackers in the wake of post poll violence incidents in three districts.