
YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy secured a massive win in the Kadapa Lok Sabha bypoll, defeating his rivals with a record margin of 5,43,053 votes. His main opponents, Congress's Dr. D.L. Ravindra Reddy and TDP's Dr. M.V. Mysura Reddy, both lost their deposits. Jagan's mother, Y.S. Vijayalakshmi, also retained the Pulivendula assembly seat, defeating her brother-in-law Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy by 85,191 votes.
The ruling Congress and the TDP had turned the elections into high-stakes contests, with the Congress deploying 15 ministers to campaign. However, the victories of Jagan and his mother signal a growing threat to Congress's dominance in Andhra Pradesh. Having left Congress to form the YSR Congress party, Jagan is strategically positioning himself to challenge the party in the 2014 elections.
Despite internal betrayals and challenges, Jagan is focused on expanding his support base and carrying forward his father YSR's political legacy. He plans to lead a 48-hour fast to support farmers demanding better prices for their crops, further strengthening his connection with the people.