YSR Congress party wins Greater Vizag by-polls

Visakhapatnam: YSR Congress Party has won the by-polls for two wards – 31 and 61 – in Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), the counting for which was held on Wednesday.

While Konathala Sudha won the 61st ward, Bipin Kumar Jain bagged the 31st ward in a neck-to-neck battle with rival candidate V.Gayathri of Telugu Desam.

The AP State Election Commission conducted the by-elections on November 15 for the two wards. Polls were necessitated following the death of elected candidates Dadi Surya Kumari (YSRCP) from ward number 61 and Vanapalli Ravi Kumar (TDP) from ward for 31 in the last elections held in March this year.

“YSRC and TD have won the seats in the last polls, but this time the YSRC won both the seats,” an election observer at the counting venue at Swarna Bharati Indoor Stadium in the city told Deccan Chronicle.

In ward 61, Konathala Sudha secured a margin of 2028 votes against the Janasena candidate. Meanwhile, Bipin Kumar Jain has a thin majority of 59 votes. The TDP candidate has demanded recounting in ward 31.

The voting percentage in the bypolls for two wards - 31 and 61 was 41.6 and 57.6 respectively. Five candidates contested in the by-elections.