TRS suffers setback in Telangana in AP bypolls

New Delhi: In Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti has suffered a major setback in the bypolls in Telangana.

Party chief K Chandrasekhara Rao retained his Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat by a slim margin, defeating Jeevan Reddy of the Congress by over 15,000 votes. His party turned in a dismal performance, though, winning only two of the four Lok Sabha and seven of the 18 assembly seats in the May 29 bypolls.

The bypolls were held after 16 MLAs quit in March. Four TRS leaders also resigned from the UPA Government over the failure to form a separate Telangana state.

The ruling Congress won six assembly seats while the opposition TDP got five.

The bypolls are widely seen as a litmus test, ahead of the General Elections due next year.