Major parties gear up for bypolls in AP

Hyderabad, Nov 8: With the Election Commission announcing the byelection to the Bobbili and Karimnagar Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh on December 4, major political parties in the state have stepped up their campaign for the crucial bypolls.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) President K Chandrasekar Rao had projected the bypoll as a referendum on the issue of statehood for Telangana, after quitting the UPA government over the 'delay' in its formation.

Welcoming the announcement of bypoll schedule by the Election Commission, Mr Rao expressed confidence he would retain the seat.

Spearheading the party's campaign in Karimnagar, the cradle of the Telangana movement, senior Congress leader and Sports Minister M Satyanarayana asserted the Congress party was committed to the statehood issue. Party supremo Sonia Gandhi was striving to convince the Left parties on the issue, he added.

Mr Rao was likely to lock horns, among others, with senior BJP leader and former Union Minister of State for Home Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Congress Jagatiyal legislator Jeevan Reddy and TDP leader Ramana, who had represented Karimnagar in the Lok Sabha twice.

The TDP would strive hard to retain the Bobbili seat, the byelection for which was caused by the death of its MP K Pudithali Naidu.

UNI