YSRCP wins all 4 Rajya Sabha seats

Amaravati: The YSR Congress candidates — Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Mopidevi Venkataramana, Ayodhya Rami Reddy and Parimal Natwani — won the Rajya Sabha elections comfortably. Each of the YSR Congress candidates secured 36 votes while TDP candidate got only 17 votes with four votes turning invalid.

The TDP MLAs who switched loyalties — Karanam Balaramakrishnamurthy, Maddali Giri and Vallabhaneni Vamsi — in a strategic move followed the whip and voted in favour of TDP candidate in the first preference but they voted in a manner that their votes get invalid.

This would help them in escaping from legal action against them but at the same time they ensured that they do not favour the TDP. Only the young TDP MLA Adireddi Bhavani had inadvertently cast an invalid vote.

The Jana Sena MLA voted in favour of YSRCP. This helped the YSRCP get 152 votes. Though officially the Jana Sena has not commented on this, one of their party spokespersons felt that this has helped the party to come out of the tag that they were with TDP. However, he did not explain if it was now with YSRCP.

Following Friday's election results, the strength of YSRCP in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 6 MPs.

After the announcement of the victory, the MP-elect candidates addressed the media outside the Assembly in the evening.

Parimal Natwani thanked Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for giving him an opportunity to represent the State in the Rajya Sabha.

Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose said that he would strive to bring the necessity of totally implementing the State Reorganisation Act to the notice of the Central government.

Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao, in an emotional speech, said that he started his political career from the mandal-level and rose step by step to become MLA, MLC and Minister and now Rajya Sabha member. He said that it was a dream come true to reach Delhi.