TDP had spent over Rs. 100 Cr to win Nandyal seat: Jagan

Hyderabad: YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has alleged that the ruling TDP has spent over Rs. 100 crore to influence voters to win Nandyal by-elections.

Reacting to the Nandyal bypoll outcome at Hyderabad on Monday, he alleged the TDP has resorted to utter misuse of power to win the by-poll. The administration was fully used to threaten and influence the voters, he said. "If Chandrababu thinks he has won in Nandyal, it is utterly wrong. The victory at best is pyrrhic. He has duped the people. He has backtracked on the promises given to the voters at the time of 2014 elections. The people had overwhelmingly slammed Chandrababu Naidu during the campaign. Yet, he managed to win because this is not a general election and the people know that a defeat in Nandyal will not throw him out of power," Jagan said.

The YSRCP leader said this election should not be seen as a referendum. "How can a single assembly election outcome, where all ministers and over 100 MLAs were deployed and over Rs 100 crore were spent to influence the voters, be considered a referendum?" he asked. "Let him ask all the turncoat MLAs to resign and get them re-elected on the TDP symbol in the by-polls. Such an act alone can be considered a referendum. The result in one constituency, where election was held in extraordinary circumstances, cannot be a referendum," he added.

Jagan thanked all those who voted for the YSRCP in Nandyal despite the intimidation, threats and allurements from the ruling Telugu Desam Party. He also thanked the party leaders had braved all threats to work for the party against heavy odds. He also congratulated the party candidate Silpa Mohan Reddy and his brother Chakrapani Reddy for bravely standing up for political morality and fighting the battle of right against might.