BJP Fields Former IAS Officer K Ratna Prabha in a ‘Promising’ Contest

The BJP has fielded K Ratna Prabha, a former IAS officer, from Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh. Tirupati MP Balli Durga Prasad Rao had died last year due to coronavirus after which the seat fell vacant.

The list released by the BJP also has names of its nine candidates for as many assembly bypolls spread across six states. Elections to these seats will be held on April 17 and results will be declared on May 2.

Meanwhile, the ruling YSR Congress had named Dr M Gurumurthy as its candidate for the by-election. Gurumurthy is a physiotherapist, who accompanied YSRC chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in his 3600-km-long padayatra (foot march) in 2017-19 and tended to the latter.

Fielding him as the party candidate is seen as a reward for 36-year-old Gurumurthy”s services. He hails from Yerpedu mandal under Srikalahasti Assembly constituency that forms part of Tirupati Lok Sabha segment.

The YSRC won the Tirupati seat successively in 2014 and 2019. The BJP will contest the bypoll in alliance with Jana Sena of actor Pawan Kalyan.

Cautioning the party rank and file against being overconfident, YSR Congress president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had last Friday asked them to spare no effort to secure victory for their candidate M Gurumurthy.

A minister and an additional MLA would be appointed as in-charges for each of the seven assembly segments under the reserved (Scheduled Caste) constituency to work for the YSRCs win in the bypoll, he told a meeting of ministers, legislators and senior party leaders at his camp office.

Jagan Reddy asked his party leaders to remind every voter of the various ‘good deeds’ of his government and ‘seek their blessings’ for Gurumurthy.