Congress fields candidate for Badvel assembly bypoll; BJP yet to enter fray

Kadapa: YSR Congress candidate Dr Sudha would go through a major electoral fight in the Badvel assembly by-election in Kadapa district though the Telugu Desam has withdrawn from the fray.

The Congress and the BJP had said they would field their candidates. Former MLA Pottipogu Mary Kamalamma (65), the Congress candidate, submitted her nomination papers on Thursday. The BJP has finalised the name of Panatala Suresh as its nominee.

Kamalamma presented her papers to electoral officer Ketan Garg. She became an MLA after Badvel constituency was reserved for SCs. She is from Girinagar Colony, Rangasamudram Panchayat, Porumamilla Mandal. A post graduate in Chemistry from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, she worked as a lecturer and principal in various colleges in Chittoor district from 1979 to 2009.

It was in 2009 that at the call of the late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, she exited from government service and entered politics. She fought the poll as a Congress candidate and won the seat.

In the 2009 elections, Kamalamma got 78,486 votes (58.08 per cent) while in the 2014 elections, Kamala Prabhash, who contested as Congress candidate there got only 1,524 (0.98 per cent) votes. The main reason was said to be the people's rejection of the Congress due to the division of the state. Kamalamma, who contested for a second time as Congress candidate in 2019, got only 2,337 votes (1.49 per cent). She is now contesting the by-election.

On the other hand, Janasena president Pawan Kalyan, who continues to be an ally of the BJP, has made it clear that he will not field any candidate and support the current YSR Congress candidate.

However, the BJP is fielding Panatala Suresh. Leaders say they will persuade Pawan Kalyan to campaign for Panatala. The BJP candidate did not file his nomination yet and one more day is left for the filing.