Ruling TD Wins Both ZPTCs in Kadapa, YSRC Loses Deposit in Pulivendula
Similarly, TD won the Vontimitta ZPTC, also in Kadapa district, with a huge majority.
Anantapur: In a major jolt to YSRC, its party candidate could not even get his deposit in the Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) by-election in Pulivendula of Kadapa district, the home turf of former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Telugu Desam candidate won with a majority of 6,050 votes.
Similarly, TD won the Vontimitta ZPTC, also in Kadapa district, with a huge majority.
By-polls had been held for the two ZPTC seats following the death of Pulivendula member Brahmananda Reddy. Vontimitta member and sitting ZP chairman A. Amaranath Reddy quit the seat after being elected as MLA from Rajampet on the YSRC ticket.
The State Election Commission conducted re-polling in two polling stations, which the YSRC boycotted seeking a re-poll in all the polling stations, saying the election had not been free and fair. The YSRC also boycotted the counting of votes at the Government Polytechnic College in Kadapa on Thursday.
Shockingly, YSRC candidate Hemantha Reddy got only 685 of the total 8,103 votes polled at the 15 polling stations in the ZPT constituency of Pulivendula mandal. TD candidate M. Latha Reddy, wife of Pulivendula TD in-charge B. Tech Ravi got 6,735 votes.
This is the first time in the history of Pulivendula, where the YS family faced such defeat.
Pulivendula seat winner Latha Reddy expressed gratitude towards people of Pulivendula mandal who could cast their votes freely after three decades in the local body polls. “This victory is a big lesson for Jagan Mohan Reddy, who behaves like the ruler of Pulivendula. People have revolted against him,” she declared, expressing her gratitude to the TD high command, apart from allied BJP and Jana Sena parties that supported her.
Vontimitta ZPTC also delivered similar results. TD candidate Muddukrishna Reddy won with a majority of 6,154 votes. He polled 12,505 votes while the YSRC candidate Subba Reddy got 6,351 votes.
Nara Bhuvaneswari, spouse of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, called up Latha Reddy and congratulated her for her victory in Pulivendula.