Bharatiya Janata Party's Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao has won Dubbaka seat, the single constituency that went to polls in Telangana. The BJP was ahead of the TRS in initial rounds, but the ruling party bounced back and secured a lead in the later stage. However, finally Rao won the seat.

The bypoll was held in the constituency following the death of sitting TRS MLA Solipeta Ramalinga Reddy in August.

The constituency is witnessing a triangular contest between congress’ Cheruku Srinivas Reddy, who had defected from the TRS, BJP's Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao and TRS' Solipeta Sujatha.

While BJP's Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao has received 63,352 votes, while TRS' Solipeta Sujatha secured 62,273 votes. INC's Cheruku Srinivas Reddy received only 22,196 votes, according to data released by the Election Commission of India.

Both Sujatha and Srinivas Reddy are first-timers while Rao is contesting polls for the third time. He had finished third in 2014 and 2018 polls. While TRS leaders were confident that it will be a cakewalk for the party both BJP and Congress were determined on giving a shock to the regional party.

Several key Congress leaders such as the party's state chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, MPs A Revanth Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka, and AICC Secretary V. Hanumanth Rao had campaigned for Cheruku Srinivas Reddy.

-with agency inputs

First Published:Nov 10, 2020 3:49 PM IST