2009 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election

In the 2004 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the INC swept the state, winning 185 of the 294 seats in the Assembly. The INC's pre-poll alliance partners, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Left parties also performed well, winning 26 and 15 seats respectively, taking the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) total to 226 seats.^[1] As leader of the INC, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy was invited by Governor Surjit Singh Barnala to form the government.^[2]

The Government completed its full five-year term, with the tenure of the Legislative Assembly set to expire on 30 May 2009. The Election Commission of India (ECI) decided to hold the Assembly elections simultaneously with the general election. Polling in each Assembly constituency was conducted in the same phase as the election to the corresponding Parliamentary constituency under which it fell.^[3]

Following the 2008 Lok Sabha vote of confidence, the Left Front withdrew its support to the INC in Andhra Pradesh as well. The TDP and the TRS subsequently aligned with the Left parties as part of the national Third Front, forming an alliance in the state known as the "Maha Kutami", which translates to "Grand Alliance" in Telugu. The alliance positioned itself in opposition to both the INC, which it accused of corruption, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which it describes as communal.^[4][5] During the same period, actor Chiranjeevi entered active politics by launching the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), presenting it as a centrist alternative focused on social justice and clean governance. The PRP's entry further split the anti-INC vote.

However, the Maha Kutami faced internal challenges, including seat-sharing disputes and ideological differences among its constituent parties.^[6] After polling had concluded but before the counting of votes, the TRS shifted its stance by extending support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP. The party later denied formally joining the NDA, clarifying that it had only offered external support, a move that attracted political controversy and further highlighted the fragility of pre-poll alliances during the election period.^[7][8]

The election revolved around several key issues. The demand for a separate Telangana state was a major factor, particularly influencing the TRS and constituencies in the Telangana region, present-day Telangana.^[9]