Nandyal bypoll: TDP, YSRC in a high stake battle ahead of 2019 general elections

The bypoll became necessary after the death of sitting MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy, who won the seat by a margin of 3,600 votes as YSRC candidate in 2014 but switched over to the TDP in February 2016.

While YSR Congress has fielded former minister Silpa Chandra Mohan Reddy, Telugu Desam has put up Bhuma Reddy’s nephew Brahmananda Reddy to cash the sympathy vote. Congress’ Gaddam Abdul Kaddar is also in the race. The Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samiti, an unregistered political outfit, also fielded its candidate B Pullaiah as an independent and he might eat into the votes of both the TDP and the YSRC.

In all, 15 candidates are in the fray but the principal fight is between the YSRC and TDP candidates. Incidentally, the ruling TDP did not win in the previous three general elections. While YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy himself led the campaign, TDP Chief and Chief Minister Chnadrababu Naidu held repeated road shows. The campaign had often turned mury with both sides attacking each other sharply.

“The Nandyal byelection is not about making a person an MLA. It is a vote against the three-year misrule of Chandrababu Naidu. This is a precursor to the 2019 elections,” Jaganmohan Reddy observed. “It’s a referendum on the corrupt and inept TDP rule,” he said. TDP hit back with the senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, saying, “A party president touring one single constituency for 13 days hasn’t happened before. He only made this election a significant one.”

(With inputs from PTI)