Hyderabad: YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s election strategist Prashant Kishor had a bitter first experience in AP, with the party being trounced in the Nandyal byelection. Not only did his strategy not work, he even got his prediction wrong.
According to sources close to Mr Reddy, Mr Kishor’s team had predicted a 6,000-vote victory for YSRC candidate Shilpa Mohan Reddy over TD candidate Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy.
Mr Kishor’s camp is now saying that “money and muscle” had won in Nandyal, and that the trend in other byelections was that the ruling parties clinched victory. Clearly, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was much ahead in poll management and strategising for elections.
Ms Divya Reddy, a close relative of Ms Y.S. Bharati Reddy, wife of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, and an NRI, Mr Rajasekhar Reddy, were coordinating with Mr Kishor’s team.
According to YSRC sources, Mr Naidu’s overall strategy and in particular police agencies conducting searches on the house of Mr Shilpa Mohan Reddy and checking financial assets had paralysed the family.
Mr Kishor’s team distanced itself from the Nandyal outcome, saying they do not get involved in byelections.
