AMARAVATI: In a huge setback to the YSR Congress Party, the Telugu Desam Party on Thursday wrested the Pulivendula ZPTC seat in the home constituency of former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The TDP won the by-election to Pulivendula Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) by a huge margin to make big inroads in Pulivendula, seen as the fortress of the YSR family.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was also leading in Ontimitta ZPTC as the counting of votes was underway amid the boycott by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which alleged rigging in the polling held on Tuesday and demanded a re-poll in both the constituencies.
In Pulivendula, TDP candidate Latha Reddy defeated Hemanth Reddy of YSRCP by a margin of 6, 035 votes.
Latha Reddy, wife of former MLC and the ruling party’s Pulivendula constituency in-charge, Mareddy Ravindra Reddy (B Tech Ravi), polled 6, 716 votes while the YSRCP candidate secured only 683 votes.
The candidate of Congress and eight independents secured fewer than 100 votes. About 74 per cent polling was recorded in Pulivendula ZPTC, which has 10, 600 voters.
The bypoll for Pulivendula ZPTC was necessitated by the death of ZPTC member T. Maheshwar Reddy of YSRCP. The opposition party had fielded his son, Hemanth Reddy.
Polling was conducted for the first time in three decades as candidates backed by the YSR family have been winning the seat unanimously. The TDP-led NDA described the conduct of polling as "restoration of democracy".
Minister for Backward Classes Welfare S. Savitha termed the TDP’s win as a victory of democracy in Pulivendula. She said, "Pulivendula would celebrate Independence, just a day before Independence Day."
She exuded confidence that the TDP would capture Jagan’s fortress in the next Assembly elections.