Political activity picked up momentum in the district as contestants from the main political parties filed nominations for the Lok Sabha by-poll here on Wednesday.
The District Collectorate was a beehive of activity as principal contestants from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Congress and BJP trooped into the office premises with their followers to file their papers.
The heavy police presence did not deter the supporters of the parties from raising full-throated slogans in favour of their leaders, but there were no untoward incidents.
ADVERTISEMENT
The TRS nominee, K. Prabhakar Reddy, accompanied by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao, legislators P. Babumohan, S. Ramalinga Reddy and Ch. Madan Reddy filed his papers before Returning Officer and Collector A. Sarath. Later, Deputy Speaker M. Padma Devender Reddy and Lok Sabha member B.B. Patil, MLCs V. Bhoopal Reddy and Sudhakar Reddy, walked in to file a second set of nominations on behalf of Mr. Prabhakar Reddy.
Congress candidate and former Minister V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy filed her nomination in the presence of party leaders V. Hanumanth Rao, Mohd. Ali Shabbir, J. Geeta Reddy, former Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha and Balram Naik.
ADVERTISEMENT
The BJP indeed sprung a surprise when it managed to get former Whip T. Jayaprakash Reddy to join the party and nominated him to fight the by-election.
Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy, accompanied by Telugu Desam Party leaders E. Dayakar Reddy, A. Revanth Reddy, BJP senior leader Baddam Bal Reddy, Ch. Ramachnadra Reddy and his supporters, came in a procession and filed his papers.
In all, 15 nominations were filed for the by-election, including the 10 nominations filed on Wednesday.