YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy said his party would accept the verdict given by voters in the Nandyal by-election, and claimed that the ruling party could manage the show by blatant misuse of official machinery, using police force for political gains and terrorising voters with threats like stopping welfare schemes.
This was in addition to distribution of money on a large scale to allure voters. “TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu cannot claim this as victory,” he said. Asked whether his party accepted it as a referendum, he said it was a solitary bypoll and the ruling party as well as the government focussed heavily on the lone segment. Significant number of voters still stood by the YSRC in spite of the threats handed over to them.
“Let the ruling TDP ask all the 20 defected MLAs to resign from their posts and seek public mandate afresh. We will accept the election as referendum if the elections are held to all the 20 constituencies from which the YSRC MLAs defected to the TDP,” he said. The TDP could secure an edge in the bypoll after threatening voters that they could be targeted if they went against the ruling party. This was evident from the manner in which people rejected the ruling party for going back on its pre-election promises and cheating different sections including women, farmers and youth.
Setback temporary
“The ruling party has spent nothing less than ₹ 200 crore going by even conservative estimates. We want to see whether the Government can focus on 20 constituencies with equal measure,” he said. He lauded party nominee Silpa Mohan Reddy and his brother Silpa Chakrapani Reddy who resigned as MLC to join the YSRC fold claiming that they stood by value-based politics.
He said the election setback was temporary and the ruling party could not take the credit for the victory as ethics and morals were thrown to winds in the election process.
