Telangana Bypoll: Surprise For TRS As BJP Wins Dubbak Assembly Seat
In a close contest, BJP’s M Raghunandan Rao got 63,352 votes, while the TRS nominee Sujatha secured 62,273 votes.
In a boost to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Telangana, the saffron party on Tuesday won the bypoll held to the Dubbak Assembly constituency, defeating the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi by a margin of 1,079 votes.
"BJP candidate won by 1,079 votes," Siddipet district Collector Bharati Hollikeri told PTI over phone.
In a close contest, BJP's M Raghunandan Rao got 63,352 votes, while the TRS nominee secured 62,273 votes.
Cheruku Srinivas Reddy of the Congress finished third with 22,196 votes.
The bypoll, held on Nov.3, was necessitated due to the death of sitting TRS MLA Solipeta Ramalinga Reddy in August due to health issues and the TRS has fielded his widow Sujatha as its candidate.
Buoyed by the victory, state BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who thanked the electorate in Dubbak for the win, said TRS leaders should remember that BJP's series of victories would continue till the saffron flag conquered the state.
He claimed that the Dubbak verdict is against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his "arrogant, corrupt and dictatorial" rule.
Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the BJP's win is being welcomed by Telangana people.
Reacting to the TRS defeat, the partys working president KT Rama Rao said they will review the result as to why the party lost the election.
Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, thanked over 62,000 people who voted for the party and also the party cadre for their efforts during the poll.
"The result was not as we expected...we will not be depressed by defeats or overjoy with success," he told reporters.
Rama Rao said the TRS never lost any election, be it for Assembly, Panchayat or GHMC after the formation of Telangana in 2014 and that the Dubbak loss would make it more alert in the future.
The Dubbak win would give a headstart to the BJP in the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.
TRS' loss is inconsequential as far as the government is concerned as the party enjoys a massive majority of 100 seats in the 119-member Legislative Assembly.