KADAPA: The Badvel Assembly by-election in Kadapa district will be held only after the festival season comes to an end. The Election Commission of India (ECI), which announced bypolls to fill vacancies in the Assemblies in Odisha and West Bengal, said the Andhra Pradesh government suggested that the bypoll should be held after the festival season in view of the pandemic. The commission had sought the opinion of the States to fill vacancies with the resignation or the sudden demise of sitting elected representatives recently.
“The Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other States and advisers of Union Territories brought to the notice of the Commission the constraints related to flood situations, festivals and pandemic. They suggested it would be advisable to have by-elections after the end of the festival season,’’ the ECI said.
In Andhra Pradesh, though the Covid situation is under control, there has been a slight increase in new infections and positivity rate for the past few weeks. The Met department has also predicted good rains in September and parts of Rayalaseema have also been receiving incessant rains and occasional floods unlike in the past. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting YSRC MLA Dr G Venkatasubbaiah in March due to prolonged illness.
The YSRC is confident of winning the seat as it falls in Kadapa, the native district of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and a bastion of the ruling party. The YSRC won all the 10 Assembly seats and the two parliamentary constituencies in the district.
YSRC CONFIDENT OF VICTORY ON JAGAN’S HOME TURF
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting YSRC MLA Dr G Venkatasubbaiah in March due to prolonged illness. The YSRC is confident of winning the seat as it falls in Kadapa, the native district of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and a bastion of the YSRC. The YSRC won all the 10 Assembly seats and two LS seats in the district.