TDP wins West Rayalaseema Graduate MLC election, RO denies declaration, CEC intervenes

AMARAVATHI: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has given a big jolt to the ruling YSR Congress party by winning all three graduate MLC elections in the State. The TDP, which already registered a victory in North Andhra and East Rayalaseema constituencies on Friday, the results of the West Rayalaseema Graduate constituency were announced on Saturday night after counting the votes for three days.

Despite TDP candidate Bhoomi Reddy Ramgopal Reddy being announced victorious, there was a high drama that unfolded at the counting center with the Returning Officer not issuing a declaration certificate, which resulted in a protest by TDP leaders. TDP Politburo member Kalava Srinivasulu, former Minister Paritala Sunitha, former MLA Prabhakar Chowdhary, Sri Sathyasai District TDP President Parthasarathy, Kadapa District President Srinivasa Reddy, Bhoomi Reddy Ramgopal Reddy, TDP State Spokesperson Paritala Sriram, Kalyanadurgam Constituency In-Charge Umamaheshwara Naidu, and others staged a protest at the counting centre. They were arrested and shifted to the three town police station. in Anantapuram.

However, after TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu expressed anguish over the Returning Officers' behaviour and wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India to intervene in this matter, the ECI questioned the Returning Officer on the matter concerned and directed to issue the declaration certificate to Ramgopal Reddy who won as MLC. The Returning Officer informed TDP leaders saying that he would issue the declaration at 8.30 am on Sunday.

Going by the counting process held for three days, YSRCP candidate Vennapusa Ravindra Reddy got the majority in the priority votes and has got a considerable lead in the second priority votes as well. However, as the majority votes were clinched by PDF candidate Potula Nagaraju with 19,000 votes in the last round and most of the votes polled to YSRCP were invalid, the TDP candidate B. Ramgopal Reddy got 1,09,781 votes and Vennapusa Ravindra Reddy 1,02,238 votes and won with a majority of 7,543 votes.