Munugode bypoll first test for renamed BRS; Raj Gopal Reddy in fray from BJP

Hyderabad: The battle lines for the crucial November 3 bypoll to the Munugode assembly constituency in Telangana have been drawn with the ruling TRS and the opposition Congress and BJP announcing their candidates.

The BJP on Saturday fielded Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy for the seat. Reddy quit the Congress in August and joined the BJP. He was the sitting MLA from the constituency and his resignation necessitated the bypoll.

The TRS, which recently changed its name to the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), has fielded former MLA Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy as its nominee.

The Congress has already announced Palvai Sravanthi as its candidate for the bypoll.

The Munugode byelection has assumed significance as its outcome would give an edge to the winner ahead of next year's legislative assembly elections.

A war of words among the leaders of the three parties on Saturday heated up the political atmosphere in the state.

TRS leader and state Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy, who hails from Nalgonda district, alleged that Raj Gopal Reddy switched over to the BJP for business favours. Jagadish Reddy has been leading the TRS campaign for the bypoll.

State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar said Raj Gopal Reddy gave up his remaining tenure as MLA and quit to fight against the family rule of the TRS.

Speaking to reporters, he expressed confidence that the BJP would win with a big majority.

Meanwhile, state Congress president and MP A Revanth Reddy and other senior party leaders held a meeting here to firm up the party's strategy for the bypoll.

Counting of votes will be taken up on November 6.