Got punched, admits Jagan

Reddy and his political strategist Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.

He said AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would be “foolish” to count the bypoll outcome as his success.

He alleged that the TD had spent `200 crore to lure the public and had used the police to threaten the public.

Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy said such success could not be considered a referendum. He expressed his confidence in winning the next time, while accepting the “temporary success” of Mr Naidu.

Reacting in Hyderabad to the Nandyal bypoll outcome, he asked, “How can a single Assembly election outcome, where all ministers and over 100 MLAs were deployed and over `200 crore was spent to influence the voters, be considered a referendum.”

“Let him ask all the defected MLAs to resign and get them re-elected on the TD symbol in the bypolls. That alone can be considered a referendum. The result in one constituency, where the byelection was held in extraordinary circumstances, cannot be a referendum,” he said.

The YSRC chief thanked all those who voted for the party in Nandyal, despite the “intimidation, threats and allurements” from the TD.

He thanked party leaders who had braved all threats to work for the party against heavy odds. He congratulated party candidate Shilpa Mohan Reddy and his brother Chakrapani Reddy for “bravely standing up for political morality and fighting the battle of right against might”.

Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the TD had resorted to “utter misuse of power” to win the bypoll. The administration was fully used to threaten and influence the voters, he claimed.

“If Chandrababu thinks he has won in Nandyal, it is utterly wrong. The victory at best is pyrrhic. He has duped the people.