TIRUPATI LS Bypolls Counting | After the first round of counting was over the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has established a clear lead of over 14,000 votes after the first round of counting in the by-election to the Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency.

YSRCP candidate Dr M Gurumurthy polled 28,547 votes while the TDP's Panabaka Lakshmi secured 14,451 in the first round, according to the Election Commission.

BJP nominee K Ratna Prabha, a retired IAS officer, managed 2,300 votes while the Congress' Chinta Mohan got 375.

A total of 28 candidates are in the fray, though the main contenders are YSRCP candidate Dr M Gurumurthy, g former union minister Panabaka Lakshmi from TDP, former Karnataka chief secretary K Ratna Prabha of BJP and former Tirupati MP Chinta Mohan of Congress.

The counting of votes for Tirupati (SC) Lok Sabha constituency commenced in the morning at Sarvepalli, Gudur, Sullurupeta and Venkatagiri constituencies is currently underway at DK Government Women's College in Nellore. The counting arrangements have also been made at Sri Venkateswara Arts College in Tirupati for Tirupati, Srikalahasti and Satyavedu constituencies of Chittoor district.

The by-election for the Tirupati Lok Sabha seat was held on April 17. It was necessitated after the death of the YSRCP sitting MP Balli Durgaprasad who died due to COVID-19 in September 2020.