Andhra Pradesh: Nandyal bypoll, a precursor to the 2019 assembly elections, says Jagan Mohan

Affirming that the upcoming bypolls of Nandyal assembly constituency is the fight for righteousness, YSR Congress president and Leader of Opposition of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday said that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his governance has been steeped in a bundle of lies as he had never respected values and ethics in the political system.

The byelection of Nadyal, which falls under Kurnool district of Rayalseema region of state, is scheduled for 23 August and it has become a prestige fight for ruling Telugu Desam Party as Opposition YSR Congress has christened the election result as referendum of Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government as the state is scheduled to go for election in 2019.

The bypoll is taking place as its sitting MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy died from a heart-attack in March this year. Interestingly, Bhuma Nagi Reddy and his daughter Bhuma Akhila Priya won the election on YSR Congress party ticket, but later switched side and joined ruling Telugu Desam Party.

Allahabad MLA Bhuma Akhila Priya (26) was sworn in as youngest minister of Naidu Cabinet this year in April.

"We have fielded a candidate as we follow the ethics and this seat was won by our party and the Chief Minister had blatantly engineered defections and had taken away 21 of our MLAs shamelessly," said Jagan, while addressing a massive rally, pointing out the defection of Bhuma Family.

Jagan reminded the crowd that the Nadyal by-poll will be a pre-cursor to the 2019 general elections and its result will seal the fate of Naidu and his party.

YS Jagan also promised that if his government will come into power, the number of district would be increased in the state and Nandyal would become a district.

In yet another development, veteran Telugu Desam Party leader and MLC Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy resigned from party and Legislative Councils alleging humiliation by the party.

Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy's brother Shilpa Mohan Reddy is YSR candidate and strong buzz is that he will also join the Opposition party.

Recently, political strategists Prashant Kishor and his Group I-PAC ( Indian Political Action Committees) took up the task of promoting and strategising YS Jagan and his party YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh which will go for assembly polls in 2019.