Nandyal Assembly bypoll dates declared

Hyderabad: The first real political battle after the 2014 general elections will ensue between TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the Nandyal Assembly bypoll to be held on August 23. The date was announced by the Election Commission’s office on Thursday.

The byelection became necessary with the death of Bhuma Nagi Reddy on March 12. He was elected on a YSRC ticket in 2014 and joined the TD. Though there were three bypolls held after 2014 for the Allagadda, Nandi-gama and Tirupati Assembly seats, the TD and YSRC did not contest face to face in any of them. 

With the general elections one and a half years away, this bypoll has become politically significant for both Mr Naidu and Mr Reddy who want to prove their individual strengths.

YSRC nominee and former minister Shilpa Mohan Reddy, who was with the TD in 2014, was defeated by Nagi Reddy. Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy, the TD candidate for the bypoll, worked for Nagi Reddy and campaigned for the YSRC in 2014.

With the general elections one a and half years away, this particular Assembly bypoll has become politically significant for both Mr Naidu and Mr Reddy who want to prove their individual strengths. The unofficial estimate of election related expenditure by both the parties is expected to be about Rs 100 crore.