The Central Election Commission has canceled the notification issued for the Vizianagaram Local Authorities MLC by-election, following directives from the High Court. The commission stated that this decision aligns with a recent High Court ruling, which addressed the disqualification of Indukuri Raghuraju, previously elected as an MLC from this constituency. Raghuraju had challenged the unilateral disqualification imposed by the council chairman in the High Court. After a thorough review, the High Court invalidated the disqualification, allowing Raghuraju to retain his MLC position.
The Election Commission had already released a schedule for the by-election, with nominations to be finalized by November 11 and voting set for November 28. However, following the High Court’s verdict, uncertainty loomed over whether the election would proceed. Ultimately, the court ruled to cancel the by-election.
The decision delivered a setback to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which had aimed to leverage its local majority to secure the seat. The party had announced former MLA Shambangi Venkata China Appala Naidu as its candidate, who had filed his nomination, while YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy actively engaged with district leaders to strategize for the win.
This development comes after YSRCP’s recent unopposed victory in the Visakhapatnam Local Authorities MLC by-election, where Botsa Satyanarayana was elected. With hopes to replicate this success in Vizianagaram, the YSRCP now faces a setback as the High Court’s judgment and the Election Commission’s decision have put their plans on hold.