Hyderabad: Nandyal, once famous as the Lok Sabha constituency of then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, has once again hit the headlines because of the no-holds barred campaign by the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and leader of opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy for the assembly by-election.
With the polling date fast approaching clear battle lines have emerged as 16 candidates are left in the fray. The main candidates include Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy of TDP, Shilpa Chandramohan Reddy of YSRCP and G Abdul Khadar of Congress. The main fight is between the TDP and the YSRCP and both the parties have thrown everything in the prestigious contest.
Chandrababu Naidu and his bête noire Jaganmohan Reddy are running a bitter campaign against each other and have alleged that the other side was using money and muscle power.
What otherwise would have been a routine affair has now caught the attention of the entire state after both the leaders made sensational claims during their campaign.
Jaganmohan Reddy created a stir by taking the campaign to a new low when he said that “there would be nothing wrong if people like Naidu were shot dead in public for cheating people”.
Not to be left behind Chandrababu Naidu dragged Jagan’s father, late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, into it, and alleged he had been involved in the Maoist attempt on his life in October 2003. Naidu had a narrow escape with serious injuries in the attack near Tirupati.
Naidu claimed that a notorious sand smuggler K Gangi Reddy had provided logistical support to the Maoists in the attack at the behest of YSR.
These allegations have betrayed both the parties’ desperation and created a fear of violence in the run-up to the bypoll on August 23.
As the by-election was caused by the sudden death of TDP MLA Bhuma Venkat Nagi Reddy the party has nominated his family member and YSR Congress has nominated a TDP leader who joined its ranks on the eve of the by poll.
