KADAPA: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) delivered a stunning blow to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) by securing resounding victories in the Pulivendula rural and Vontimitta ZPTC by-elections, shattering the YSR family’s long-standing dominance in these strongholds.
In Pulivendula, a bastion of the YSR family for over four decades, TDP achieved a historic milestone by capturing the ZPTC seat for the first time since the system's inception.
TDP candidate M. Latha Reddy, wife of Pulivendula constituency TDP in-charge B. Tech Ravi, defeated YSRCP’s T. Hemanth Reddy by a staggering 6,033 votes.
The election saw a multi-cornered contest with Congress’s Shivakalyan Reddy and nine independent candidates, including Yadati Sunil Yadav, an accused in the murder case of former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.
Of the 10,601 registered voters, 7,814 cast their ballots. Latha Reddy secured 6,716 votes, while Hemanth Reddy polled a mere 683, resulting in the loss of his deposit. Notably, independent candidate Yadati Sunil Yadav received just two votes. Zilla Parishad CEO Obulamma presented the victory certificate to Latha Reddy.
In Vontimitta, TDP’s Muddu Krishnareddy triumphed over YSRCP’s Irangareddy Subbareddy with a commanding margin of 6,265 votes. Out of 20,457 registered voters, 19,836 voted, with Krishnareddy securing 12,780 votes against Subbareddy’s 6,513. The victory certificate was also handed over by CEO Obulamma.
The sweeping victories, particularly in Pulivendula, the political heartland of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, mark a significant breakthrough for TDP as it gears up for upcoming local body elections.
Political analysts attribute the wins to robust voter support, despite YSRCP’s allegations of electoral malpractices, including rigging and violence.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, treating the elections as a prestige battle, employed a strategic “Kuppam formula” to counter YSRCP’s influence.
Ministers S. Savita (Pulivendula) and Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy (Vontimitta) spearheaded the campaign, collaborating with local TDP and BJP leaders, including Jammalamadugu MLA C. Adinarayana Reddy.
The campaign focused on door-to-door outreach, luring key YSRCP leaders with promises of contracts and development projects, and leveraging the Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case to sway voters.
Adinarayana Reddy’s extensive presence in Pulivendula and Ramprasad Reddy’s supervision of polling stations in Vontimitta proved instrumental in securing the victories.
The YSRCP, reeling from the defeats, accused TDP of employing “undemocratic tactics,” including bogus voting, intimidation, and misuse of government machinery, alleging complicity by police and officials.
Many YSRCP leaders boycotted the counting process in protest. TDP, however, dismissed these claims, hailing the results as a historic turning point.
The outcome has left the YSRCP ranks demoralized, signaling a potential shift in the region’s political landscape as TDP strengthens its foothold in these key constituencies.