Mixed results for YSRCP in MLC election
TDP leaders celebrating the victory of party MLC candidate K Srikanth in Nellore on Friday
Chandrasekhar Reddy received the declaration issued by the Election Commission at Chittoor after he won by a margin of 1,043 votes over his nearest PDF rival Pokkireddy Babureddy with the elimination voting process that started at 8 am on Mar 16 and continued till 3 am on March 17.
Out of the total 24,291 votes, Chandrasekhar Reddy got 11,714 votes, Babureddy 10,671 votes and 1,906 votes were invalid. There was a difference of only 1,000 votes. Chandrasekhar Reddy conducted poll campaign for more than six months contacting all educational institutions in the three districts much before announcement of his candidature. Being an educationist, he received support from the private educational institutions which helped them in clinching the seat.
This is the first time for YSRCP to contest the teacher's constituency elections and win the polls. It defeated the rival nominees from PDF and APTF who have been winning continuously. The MLC-elect Chandrasekhar Reddy said that he will continue to work towards solving the problems of teachers and thanked every teacher for reposing faith in him and voting for him. He said his aim is to consider the views of all the associations and to do more justice on behalf of the government with respect to the teachers.
In a shock to the ruling party, TDP-backed graduates' MLC candidate Dr Kancharla Srikanth Chowdary from Kandukuru has won the seat which put the TDP cadres on cloud nine. Party leaders are defining it a moral victory too as their candidate got through all hurdles created by ruling party giving a morale boosting win to the opposition.
His nearest rival Perneti Syamprasad Reddy of YSRCP also strived hard to get support from the partymen across three districts and even Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the party leaders to support him for ensuring a good majority considering the poll as a prestigious one. He is a close aide of agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy and all-party senior leaders have put in their efforts for his success.
TDP politburo member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said the MLC results are the first step towards TDP's victory in the next elections and they are going to win all the graduate seats in the state. He said people have concluded that only with N Chandrababu Naidu it would be possible to save the state which has gone off track.
The former minister said educated people in more than 60 per cent of the constituencies have clearly given their verdict as a slap in the face of the 'anarchic rule' of the YSRCP and he conveyed his best wishes to the TDP leaders, activists and followers who have worked hard with dedication from Srikakulam to Chittoor and Anantapur to Kurnool for the victory of the party candidates. Further, party city president Dharmavaram Subba Rao organised celebrations in the city distributing sweets to the party workers amid burst of crackers at important junctions.