The two major contenders, N. Chandrababu Naidu and Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, arrived in Amaravati on Wednesday, in time for the counting day. The leaders seemed equally confident about coming to power with their followers all set to celebrate victory.
YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy confidently waved at a cheerful crowd outside his camp office at Tadepalli, close to the capital city. A number of 'welcome' hoardings and billboards were put up along the highway from Gannavaram airport to Tadepalli.
TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reached his official residence at Undavalli in the afternoon after participating in the Gangamma Jatara along with his family in his constituency Kuppam in Chittoor district earlier in the day.
Naidu had shown conviction about his party retaining power with 110-plus seats. Soon after returning to Amaravati, he held meeting with party leaders on the party's preparation for vote counting.
Meanwhile, TDP workers across the state have kept crackers ready for victory celebrations, one example being a huge load of crackers stocked at Gudivada in Krishna district.
Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan also arrived in Vijayawada and held interaction with party leaders.
Security beefed up
Security has been enhanced at Jagan's residence-cum-party state office at Tadepalli on the banks of the Krishna. Guntur Urban SP Ch Vijaya Rao said that patrolling had been intensified and a dynamic security system will be in place.
"In addition to local police, Central and AP special police will be deployed at Mr. Jagan's residence on the counting day. We will deploy drones for surveillance and keep a vigil with the help of CCTV cameras," said Rao. The police have cautioned people to expect traffic diversion as the day progresses.
Security along the riverbed leading to CM Naidu's residence at Undavalli has also been stepped up. Patrolling parties, bomb disposal squads and road opening parties are kept on standby.
About 90 central platoons have been deployed in the state. A total of 25,000 police men drawn from the state and Central forces are assigned bandobust duty. As many as 300 armed security personnel are deployed at each of the 36 counting centres for the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies.