28 in the fray for Huzurnagar bypolls in Telangana

As many as 28 candidates are in the fray for the October 21 Huzurnagar Assembly by-election after the withdrawal of nominations on Thursday, official sources said on Friday.

The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President (TPCC) N Uttam Kumar Reddy following his election to the Lok Sabha.

The Huzurnagar bypoll is set to witness a multi-cornered fight as candidates of all major parties, including the TRS, the Congress, the TDP and BJP, have entered the fray.

The Congress has fielded Uttam Kumar Reddy's wife N Padmavati Reddy, a former MLA, in the bypoll, while the TRS has re-nominated S Saidi Reddy, who lost to Uttam Kumar Reddy in the 2018 Assembly polls.

The Telangana Jana Samithi has announced its support for the Congress while the CPI pledged support to the ruling TRS after talks with the Sonia Gandhi-led party failed.

The CPI bitterly fought the TRS in alliance with the Congress and the TDP in the December 2018 Assembly polls