Andhra Pradesh’s ruling TDP dealt a crushing defeat to Opposition YSR Congress in the bypoll to the Nandyal Assembly constituency, results of which were declared on Monday.

The TDP’s debutant candidate Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy (33) defeated the seasoned Silpa Mohan Reddy (54) by a margin of 28,000 votes. The Congress candidate got just 1,382 votes.

The contest, which was billed as a fight between Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy was expected to go to the last round, but turned out to be a one-sided affair in the end. The high 80 per cent polling on August 23 raised suspense over the result.

The verdict has come as a ‘shock’ to Jagan who projected the by-election as a referendum on Naidu’s three-year rule and staked his all for a win by camping in the constituency for three weeks.

The huge victory of the TDP also proved most pre-election calculations and surveys wrong. Most pollsters and both parties were prepared for a close finish. Even in 2014, Bhuma Nagi Reddy, who was then in YSR Congress won by a thin margin of just around 4,000 votes.

Speaking to the media at State Capital Amaravati, the Chief Minister said the by-election was an indicator of things to come. “It is a clear public endorsement of the three-year rule of my party in the State in very trying circumstances in the aftermath of the bifurcation of the State,” Naidu said, adding that Jagan had been taught a lesson for his the negative politics.

People clearly backed development and forward-looking governance, Naidu claimed.

Jagan on the other hand alleged that the TDP had used the full force of police, government machinery, money and fear to influence the voters. “Will Naidu, whose party spent over ₹200 crore in one constituency spend 20 times more and fight in 20 seats where the YSRC is willing to immediately go for a referendum?” he asked.

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