Acid test for Jagan as Kadapa votes today

The by-elections had been necessitated by the resignation of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his mother and wife of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

The triangular fight in Kadapa is between Jaganmohan Reddy of the YSR Congress, Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy (Congress) and M V Mysoora Reddy (TDP).

For the Pulivendula seat, Vijayalakshmi and YSR’s brother Y S Vivekananda Reddy are locked in a fierce contest for the “family” seat. Vivekananda held the seat for four terms when YSR was in Parliament till 1996.

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to deploy more than 10,000 security personnel for the Kadapa constituency alone.

Nearly 11,000 local leaders have campaigned in both constituencies. Nearly 30,000 state police personnel were deployed in 1,512 booths in both segments. Over 1,266 polling stations in the Kadapa constituency have been declared sensitive, hyper sensitive and problematic. The commission had sought 40 companies of central forces. However,  in view of the ongoing assembly elections, the Union Home Ministry could provide the state with only 17 companies.