Kadapa poll result post-mortem: Kiran rushes to Cong

Hyderabad, May 14: The Congress has began the post-mortem of the Kadapa and Pulivendula by-election results with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy conferring with the losing candidates D L Ravindra Reddy and Y S Vivekananda Reddy at his camp office on Saturday, May 14.

Ravindra Reddy, currently the State Health minister, lost his security deposit in the by-election for Kadapa Lok Sabha seat that was won by YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy by a record margin of 5.45 lakh votes.

Though he managed to secure his deposit in Pulivendula, Vivekananda faced the ignominy of losing to his sister-in-law Y S Vijayalakshmi, who too got elected to the state Assembly by a record margin of 81,373 votes.

The Chief Minister discussed the by-election results with the two candidates as well as Badwel MLA Kamalamma.

Kamalamma returned to the Congress fold on the eve of the by-polls after sailing with Jagan for a few months.

Informed sources said the Chief Minister is now contemplating to get Vivekananda, younger brother of late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, ''nominated'' to the AP Legislative Council through the Governor.

The state Governor is required to nominate five candidates to the Legislative Council following the vacancies that arose with the retirement of members in March.

Vivekananda resigned from the state Cabinet as Agriculture Minister after his Council membership ended in March and contested the by-election from Pulivendula.

Kiran Kumar is said to be keen re-inducting Vivekananda into the Council of Ministers by getting him nominated to the Legislative Council. This would, however, be subject to Vivekananda's willingness to get nominated to the Council, the sources said.

PTI