TRS loses two MP, nine MLA seats in AP bypolls

Hyderabad, Jun 1 (UNI) Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS), which forced the by-elections in Andhra Pradesh due to en masse resignation from four Lok Sabha and 16 Assembly seats, today received a jolt as it retained only two Lok Sabha and seven Assembly seats in counting of votes for the May 29 bypolls.

The ruling Congress and the main Opposition Telugu Desam arty (TDP) wrested one MP seat each and five and four Assembly seats respectively from the TRS, according to information received by the state Chief Electoral Officer(CEO).

TRS President and former Union Labour Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who had won the by-election to the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat last year by a margin of about two lakh votes, could retain his seat this time with a much reduced margin of 15,219 votes.

While the Congress retained the Khairatabad Assembly seat, which fell vacant following the death of its sitting MLA, the TDP won the by-election to the Therlam Assembly seat in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, caused by the death of its sitting legislator.

As part of a political understanding, the two parties decided to field only the kin of the deceased legislators and did not field candidates against each other.

UNI BR/SM KVV SW RN1424