By-polls to Kadapa, Pulivendula on May 8

The Central Election Commission on Wednesday announced that by-elections to the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh would be held on May 8.

Apart from the Lok Sabha constituency, by-elections to the Pulivendula Assembly constituency would also be conducted.

The Kadapa Lok Sabha seat was represented by former Congress member YS Jaganmohan Reddy who resigned from both the Lok Sabha and the party. The Pulivendula Assembly seat was held by Ms YS Vijayalakshmi, widow of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. She had tendered her resignation along with Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, her son.

Apart from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, by-elections would also be held for the Bastar Parliamentary seat on the same date, May 8.

Mr Jaganmohan Reddy had quit the Congress in November 2010 and had launched his YSR Congress Party recently.

Ms Vijayalakshmi had won the Pulivendula Assembly seat unopposed after she was named the Congress candidate following the death of her husband and former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a plane crash on September 2, 2009.

The Notification for the elections would be issued on April 11.

The last date for filing of nominations would be on April 18 and the scrutiny of papers would take place the next day. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 21. 

While polling would take place on May 8, the counting of votes would take place on May 13.

With the announcement today by the CEC, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect in the Kadapa Constituency.