Setback to YSRCP: TDP wins three graduate MLC seats

Visakhapatnam: The opposition Telugu Desam Party won three graduate MLC seats, giving a setback to the ruling YSRCP. The polling for three graduates, two teachers, and four local bodies’ seats was held on March 13, and counting began on Thursday.

Polling was held for graduate constituencies of Srikakulam-Vijayanagaram-Visakhapatnam (North Andhra), Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor (East Rayalaseema), and Kadapa-Anantapur-Kurnool (West Rayaalseema).

TDP's Vepada Chiranjeevi Rao, popularly known as Economist Chiranjeevi, won the North Andhra Graduate MLC seat. He secured 94,509 votes in the second preferential counting, leading with 27,350 votes against YSRC candidate Sitamraju Sudhakar who got 59,664 votes. The TDP candidate polled 82,956 votes, but was 11,551 votes short. Following this, second-preference counting was taken up. With 786 second-preference votes from 32 independents, 3,000 from PVN Madhav (BJP), and 8,000 from Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) candidate K Ramaprabha, the TDP candidate was declared as the winner.

After counting first and second-preference votes, another TDP candidate Kancharla Srikanth Chowdary won in East Rayalaseema with 1,24,181 votes over YSRCP candidate Pernati Syamprasada Reddy, who got 85,423 votes.

In West Rayalaseema, TDP candidate Bhumi Reddy Ramgopal Reddy won with 1,09,781 votes against YSRCP candidate Vennapusa Ravindra Reddy who got 1,02,238. Bhumi Reddy won with a majority 7543 votes.

YSRCP candidates won both teachers' constituencies — East Rayalaseema and West Rayalaseema — and four local body segments.

In Teachers’ MLC elections, YSRCP candidates Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy and MV Ramachandra Reddy made a clean sweep of the winning in both East Rayalaseema and West Rayalaseema. This was the first time the YSRC contested the teachers’ constituency polls.