The candidates of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Janasena filed nominations for the forthcoming Tirupati bypoll on Monday. While the BJP-Janasena is fielding Ratna Prabha, the YSRCP has decided to field M Gurumoorthy for the election. Both the candidates took out rallies to the returning officer’s office. The bye-election is being held in Tirupathi following the death of sitting MP Balli Durgaprasad Rao in September 2019.
The SC reserved constituency extends over Gudur, Sarvepalli, Venkatagiri and Sullurpeta in Nellore district and Srikalahasti, Satyavedu and Tirupati segments in Chittoor district. In the 2019 elections, the YSRCP won all four segments in Nellore district, and three in the Chittoor district. Prabha, who is the former Karnataka Chief Secretary, visited the Tirupati temple before filing her nomination. "With the blessings of Lord Venkateshwara and support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire BJP-JSP family, I am going to file my nomination," she said. Earlier, on Saturday, Prabha met with actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan and invited her to canvass for her in the run up to the bye-poll, which is scheduled for April 17. "Met Kalyan and invited him to canvass at Tirupati. His instant positive response makes our campaign stronger and closer to the victory," claimed Prabha.
Meanwhile, YSRCP candidate Dr M Gurumoorthy, who is the family physiotherapist for CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and his kin, was accompanied by Senior YSRCP leaders Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, YV Subbbareddy, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and others as he filed his nomination for the bye-poll.
"With the blessings of Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy and under the leadership of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy our YSRCP Tirupati Lok Sabha candidate M. Gurumoorthy filed his nomination today in the presence of senior leaders," confirmed S. Rajiv Krishna, advisor to the government of Andhra Pradesh.