Security measures have been tightened outside the Election Commission of India office in New Delhi as preparations are underway for the upcoming elections. In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena revealed that a significant number of candidates have withdrawn their nominations, leading to a decrease in the total number of candidates vying for seats in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections scheduled for May 13.
The withdrawals have caused the number of candidates contesting in the 25 Lok Sabha seats to be reduced to 454 and in the 175-member Assembly to 2,387. Following the scrutiny of nominations, the Election Commission rejected a substantial portion of the nominations, with 183 out of 686 Lok Sabha nominations and 939 out of 3,644 Assembly nominations being turned down. As a result, only 503 Lok Sabha and 2,705 Assembly nominations were accepted, which further dwindled after the withdrawals were made.