AP bypolls: Congress candidate gets unprecedented majority

A young Congress candidate has created history in the Andhra Pradesh assembly bypolls by securing a previously unheard of majority of 1,92000 votes.

P Vishnuvardhan Reddy of Congress, who was fielded from Khairatabad assembly constituency after the death of his father P Janardhan Redddy, a popular leader, won the seat with a massive margin by defeating his nearest rival of Lok Satta Party.

The Telugu Desam Party had not fielded any candidate against him in accordance with an agreement with the Congress.

Under the reciprocal arrangement, the Congress had also not fielded its candidate from Therlam where the son of a deceased TDP legislator was contesting.

However the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Lok Satta had entered the fray in Khairatabad.

Vishnuvardhan Reddy, the treasurer of National Students Union, said that overwhelming support by the people was due to the services his father had rendered to the people, especially the poor in the constituency.

Khairatabad is the biggest assembly constituency in the state. "I will never forget the love and affection showered on me by the people. It is in fact their love and respect for my father. It is a huge responsibility to come up to their expectations," he said.

The second biggest majority secured in the assembly bypoll was by T Harish Rao in Siddipet. His victory margin was more than 58,935 votes. The lowest victory margin was registered by Suman Rathore of TDP in Khanapur assembly constituency. She won by a majority of 713 votes.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed outside the residence of the TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao as two party workers poured diesel over their bodies and attempted to commit self-immolation demanding that Rao not resign as party president.

"We can not imagine TRS with out KCR," one of them said.

However, other party workers overpowered them and drenched them with water.

Hearing about the news of Chandrasekhara Rao's decision to resign as party president owning moral responsibility for the defeat, hundreds of party workers gathered outside his residence shouting slogans in his support.

T Harish Rao, nephew of Chandrasekhara Rao assured party workers that Chandrasekhara Rao's resignation will not be accepted and he will be persuaded to continue as party president till the goal of Telangana state was achieved.