Tirupati Lok Sabha Bypoll: Stage set for 4-cornered battle

Update: 2021-03-14 00:28 IST

Tirupati Lok Sabha Bypoll: Stage set for 4-cornered battle

Tirupati: After prolonged suspense and hectic parleys, BJP could convince its alliance partner Jana Sena Party to field its own candidate in the byelection for Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency. Thus, the four major parties, YSRCP, TDP, BJP and Congress, will be in fray apart from some smaller parties.

Of the four parties, only TDP has announced the name of its candidate, Panabaka Lakshmi. This four-time MP and former Union minister has contested unsuccessfully in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on TDP ticket. TDP has formally inaugurated its Parliamentary office in Tirupati and completed one round of Dharma Parirakshana Yatra in some villages.

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However, the party candidate was not seen actively involved in the campaigning. The party circles were hoping that once the election schedule is announced she will intensify her campaign.

On the other hand, YSRCP is all set to announce the name of Dr M Guru Murthy as its candidate officially though it has reportedly decided to field him in November 2020 itself. It may be recalled that he was associated closely with the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy throughout his Praja Sankalpa Yatra during 2017-19.

Dr Guru Murthy has been actively roaming in the entire constituency and meeting several senior leaders and different groups seeking their support. He has also opened his office in Tirupati and is getting ready to formally file his nomination papers as in all likelihood his name will be finalised once the election schedule is announced.

Though Congress also not made any announcement on its candidate, the six time MP and Congress Working Committee (CWC) special invitee Dr Mohan has kick started his campaign a couple of days back by touring in the constituency. As the uncertainty in BJP and Jana Sena on which party's candidate has to contest ended on Friday, now BJP will have to finalise its candidate.

There were at least five persons – former IAS officers Dasari Srinivasulu and Ratna Prabha, another former central services officer Krishna Prasad, local leader Munikrishnaiah and local doctor D Sreehari Rao, in the race for BJP candidature. The party is in hectic parleys to finalise the candidate.

It is expected that the election commission may announce the schedule early next week after which the process will heat up further.

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