YSRCP retains Atmakur seat by huge majority

Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) retained Atmakur Assembly seat by a huge majority of over 82,000 votes.

In the one-sided bypoll, YSRCP's M. Vikram Reddy defeated his nearest rival G. Bharat Kumar of the BJP by 82,742 votes. Bharat Kumar and all other candidates forfeited their deposit.

Vikram reddy polled 1,02,074 votes while the BJP candidate finished distant second with 19,332 votes. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate secured 4,897 votes.

About 65 per cent polling was recorded in the by-election to the Atmakur Assembly seat in Nellore district on Thursday and the counting was taken up on Sunday.

A total of 2,13,327 voters were eligible to exercise franchise in the constituency.

Vikram Reddy took the lead from the very first round and increased it with every round. The counting was completed in 20 rounds.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of industries minister M. Goutham Reddy in February this year.

The ruling party fielded Goutham Reddy's brother M. Vikram Reddy. A total of 14 candidates are in the fray.

Main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has not fielded the candidate in line with its tradition of not contesting a by-election where a family member of deceased sitting legislator is seeking the public mandate.

Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP), an ally of BJP, also stayed away from the bypoll.

The BJP contested the bypoll in tune with its principled stand not to encourage politics of inheritance by leaving the elections uncontested when an incumbent passes away.

In the 2019 elections, Goutham Reddy had defeated his nearest rival Bollineni Krishnayya of TDP by a margin of over 22,276 votes.