23 candidates remain in fray for Dubbak bypoll in Telangana

Hyderabad, Oct 19 (IANS) A total of 23 candidates remained in fray for November 3 by-poll to Dubbak Assembly seat in Telangana.Eleven candidates withdrew their nominations on the last day on Monday, said Chief Electoral Officer Dr Shashank Goel.A total of 46 candidates had filed their nominations. The election authorities rejected the nominations of 12 of them.The constituency is set to witness a three-cornered contest among ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) candidate Solipeta Sujatha, Congress candidate Cheruku Srinivas Reddy and Bharatiya Janata Party's M. Raghunandan Rao.Five candidates from other parties and 15 candidates have also filed their nominations for the by-poll.Meanwhile, the main contesting parties have intensified their campaign. Leaders of the TRS, the Congress and the BJP addressed rallies in different parts of the constituency.The death of sitting legislator Solipeta Ramalinga Reddy in August this year necessitated the by-elections. TRS has fielded has widow.The Congress has named Srinivas Reddy, who defected to the party from the TRS early this month.The BJP has again given ticket to Raghunandan Rao, who had finished a poor third in the 2018 election.Both Sujatha and Srinivas Reddy are testing their luck at the hustings for the first time. Raghunandan Rao is contesting the polls for the third time. He had finished third in 2014 polls as well.
--IANS ms/vd