TRS sweeps bypoll, Cong draws a blank

In Kovur, the lone seat in non-Telangana regions where bypolls were after the sitting TDP MLA quit in support of Jaganmohan Reddy, N Prasanna Kumar Reddy of YSR Congress romped home though the official result is yet to be announced. The bypoll results are a setback for the ruling Congress and the TDP which drew a blank. Among the winning candidates, two were last time elected on Congress ticket but had resigned and joined TRS to re-contest.

The same was the case for two others who had resigned from TDP and joined K Chandrasekhar Rao`s party. The Independent candidate was also a TDP MLA who had quit over the Telangana issue. The results are an embarrassment for the Congress government, more importantly as it stood third in Kovur. It is a blow for main opposition Telugu Desam Party too as its candidates lost security deposits in three seats. The only face-saver for the party is that it stood second in two seats.