Live : Visakhapatnam Assembly Election 2023

Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency voted on April 11 in the first phase of 2019 general election. The constituency, one of the 25 constituencies in Andhra Pradesh has seven assembly segments-Srungavarapukota, Bheemili, Visakhapatnam East, Visakhapatnam South, Visakhapatnam West, Visakhapatnam North and Gajuwaka.

The Vishakhapatnam seat had witnessed fierce Congress-TDP tussle from 1971 till 2014. In the last general election, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kambhampati Hari Babu had won the seat with 5,66,832 votes. He defeated his nearest rival Y. S. Vijayamma of YSR Congress party by a margin of 90,488 votes. The winning party's vote was 48.71% of the total votes.

In 2014 general election, 7,329 votes were registered under NOTA.

This time, ruling party BJP is fielding Daggubati Purandeswari, who was once elected from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency. She was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha (2009). She had contested the 2009 general election with a Congress ticket. In 2014, she left Congress to join BJP. She is the daughter of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister NT Rama Rao.

Congress party, which had garnered only 4.35% of the total votes last time, has nominated Pedada Ramanikumari for the election.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which was nowhere in the last election, has given ticket to debutante Bharath Mathukumilli. Though new to politics, Bharath Mathukumilli's paternal and maternal grandfathers -- late MVVS Murthy and Kavuri Sambasiva Rao -- are former MPs.
7 of 14 contestants are independent candidates. 

Among other contenders are George Bangari from Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch Pyramid Party of India's B. Jaya Venu Gopal and Janasena Party candidate V.V. Lakshmi Narayana.