The bye-election to the Badvel constituency in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, October 30 saw 68.12% polling. In the previous election in 2019, the turnout was 76.37%. Election Commission officials said the final polling figures may slightly vary as those standing in queues at 7 pm were allowed to cast their votes. Counting of votes will be taken up on November 2. A total of 15 candidates tested their political fortunes in the bye-poll, necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Gunthoti Venkatasubbaiah of the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
In Badvel, the voter turnout was less compared to the 2019 election. State Chief Electoral Officer K Vijayanand said the polling was peaceful. Badvel, reserved for Scheduled Castes, is one of the Assembly segments of Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency, which has been held by the YSR family for over three decades.
The poll authorities had made elaborate security arrangements for the polling in the constituency in Kadapa, home district of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Fifteen companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) and 1,606 personnel of Andhra Pradesh Police were deployed. A total of 2,16,139 voters including 1,07,340 women and two transgender persons were eligible to cast their votes.
The YSRCP has fielded his wife Dasari Sudha, who is locked in a three-cornered contest against Congress' PM Kamalamma and BJP's Punthala Suresh.The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is not contesting the bye-election, citing its tradition of supporting the family members of the deceased MLA out of respect.
The Huzurabad Assembly constituency in neighbouring Telangana saw a massive turnout of 86.33%. In the previous election in 2018, Huzurabad had recorded a turnout of 84.5%. The bye-election in Huzurabad was necessitated by the resignation of Eatala Rajender, who has represented the constituency since 2009, after he was dropped from state cabinet and went on to quit the TRS to join the BJP.