TIRUPATI: The Tirupati Lok Sabha byelection recorded a poor voter turnout on Saturday. Around 62 per cent of the electorate turned up to exercise their franchise in the bypoll, compared to 78.99 per cent turnout registered in the general elections held in 2019. The contestants will have to wait till May 2 for the result. Like in the last elections, Tirupati Assembly segment recorded less voter turnout when compared to the other six segments in the parliamentary constituency.
The voter turnout in Tirupati Assembly segment declined to 50.58 per cent in the bypoll from 66.05 per cent recorded in the last elections. The byelection was necessitated following the death of YSRC sitting MP Balli Durga Prasad Rao due to Covid-19 last year. The YSRC fielded Dr M Gurumoorthy while the Opposition TDP fielded former union minister Panabaka Lakshmi for the Lok Sabha seat. The BJP-JSP combine fielded former IAS officer K Ratna Prabha.
The elections were by and large peaceful with initial hiccups as a few EVMs did not function at some places. At a couple of places in Srikalahasti and Nellore, villagers boycotted the polls citing local issues. Trouble erupted in Tirupati with the TDP leaders intercepting some vehicles alleging that voters were being mobilised from other Assembly segments to cast votes in the parliamentary constituency limits.
TDP leaders and cadre also besieged a convention centre belonging to Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy alleging that bogus voters were given shelter there. TDP leaders, including former MLA M Sugunamma and others, staged protests at various places against the alleged electoral malpractices of the ruling YSRC. Police took some TDP leaders into preventive custody and later let them off.