Anantapur: YSRC candidate V. Gopal Reddy won in the graduate MLC polls from Rayalaseema West seat (Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa) on Wednesday. Mr Gopal Reddy won by 12,540 votes majority against his nearest rival K.J. Reddy of the TD during second priority vote counting at government polytechnic college here. The counting process ended in the wee hours of Wednesday, following a three-pronged fight among three persons - V. Gopal Reddy of YSRC, K.J. Reddy of TD and Dr. Geyanand of PDF.
As against total of 1,55,711 votes polled for Anantapur graduates’ MLC constituency, 19,935 votes were invalid. YSRC candidate V. Gopal Reddy, former APNGO association president, was leading since the first round of counting. However, he could not get 50 per cent of the total polled votes during first priority. Mr. Gopal Reddy got 65,889 votes and his nearest rival K.J. Reddy got 53,147 votes.However, about 1,998 votes were required in the second priority.
The victory in graduates’ constituency polls from Anantapur, which was TD stronghold, gave a jolt to leaders. A deputy chief minister, who hails from Kurnool, two ministers fr-om Anantapur and in-ch-arge minister from Kadapa failed to convince voters to cast votes for TD candidate. Gopal Reddy lashed out at Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for misusing powers to mount pressure on voters. “But, the graduates gave clear verdict by teaching lesson to Mr. Naidu over his apathetic policies,” Gopal Reddy said.
