T'gana: Huzurnagar set to witness keen contest in bypoll

: The curtains came down on campaigning on Saturday in the crucial October 21 bypoll to Huzurnagar assembly constituency in Telangana, where the ruling TRS and opposition Congress,BJP and TDP are locked in a multi-cornered contest.

The bypoll, the first after last years assembly polls in Telangana, has been necessitated due to the resignation of state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy following his election to the Lok Sabha.

Congress fielded Uttam Kumar Reddys wife N Padmavati, a former MLA, as its candidate, while TRS again favoured S Saidi Reddy, who lost to the PCC president in the Assembly polls.

Kota Rama Rao, a medical doctor, is the BJPs nominee and Chava Kiranmayi is the TDP candidate.

The bypoll is crucial for TRS to reaffirm its dominance in state politics as the party had suffered unexpected losses in the Lok Sabha polls.

The defeat of TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter K Kavitha in Nizamabad particularly came as a disappointment to the party.

TRS won 12 of the total 19 seats in the Lok Sabha polls.

BJP made impressive gains in Lok Sabha elections, bagging four seats.

The Congress, which suffered a shock defeat in the assembly polls, regained lost ground and won three constituencies in the Lok Sabha polls.

The bypoll is key for Congress as it seeks to take on the ruling TRS and resurrect itself in the years to come.

Uttam Kumar Reddy would be keen to retain the segment which had been held by him.

BJP would like to win the seat as it aims to emerge as the alternative to TRS in Telangana.

The TDP, once a formidable force in Telangana, is looking to revive itself in the state by putting up a decent performance in the Huzurnagar bypoll.

With a large number of its leaders shifting to TRS in the last several years, the TDP has been reduced to the margins in the state, though it managed to win two constituencies in the Assembly polls last year.

The TRS is banking heavily on the welfare and development programmes of its government.

The TRS campaign has been spearheaded by state minister G Jagadish Reddy and other TRS leaders.

The TRS leaders and activists, who were banking heavily on the party president and Chief Ministers campaign, were disappointed with the cancellation of his campaign rally due to heavy rain on October 17.

The Congress campaign was led by Uttam Kumar Reddy and the partys working president. MP A Revanth Reddy, a popular leader, has also campaigned for his party on Friday.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, BJPs state unit president K Laxman and its lone MLA in Telangana Raja Singh campaigned for the party nominee.

Polling would be held on October 21 and counting, on October 24.