Telugu Desam Party supporters celebrate the party's imminent win in the Nandyal by-election

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party has won by a big margin in the bitterly fought Nandyal assembly by-election today, with its candidate Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy getting over 27,000 votes to YSR Congress. The TDP candidate established a quick lead over Silpa Chandra Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress and stayed ahead since.By-elections were held last week in Nandyal because its legislator Bhuma Nagi Reddy died in March this year. Mr Reddy had won the seat as a YSR Congress candidate in 2014, but switched to Mr Naidu's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) soon after. He was among 20 of the YSR Congress' 67 MLAs who switched to the ruling TDP after assembly elections in 2014.The TDP fielded Bhuma Nagi Reddy's nephew, also a former YSR Congress man, while the opposition party fielded a former TDP leader in Silpa Chandra Mohan Reddy. The Nandyal contest is seen as a bellwether for assembly elections in the state and national elections, both to be held in 2019.Voting was held under unprecedented security on Wednesday last. Drones were deployed to beam real-time images of the polling to control centres amid allegations from both sides of voters being bribed.Nandyal is considered a stronghold of the YSR Congress and its chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, who made harsh attacks on Chief Minister Naidu during the campaign, calling him a "thief" as he accused him of stealing his MLAs.Jagan Mohan Reddy, 44, earned a sharp reprimand and warning from the Election Commission after he said that there would be nothing wrong if Mr Naidu "were to be shot dead on the road." In another meeting he said there was nothing wrong if "someone like Mr Naidu is hanged for his wrongs."He later explained that he had "been carried away" by his emotions because the chief minister is "betraying the people."Mr Naidu shot back saying he believes that Jagan Mohan Reddy's father, former chief minister YSR Reddy, was a behind-the-scenes player in an assassination attempt that saw Naxals target his convoy in 2003.

More than once the chief minister snapped at questions put to him by voters. "You take pensions that we give you. You use the roads built by us. You take rations and other benefits, why should you not vote for us?"Those who questioned him about undelivered promises and schemes he said called Jagan Mohan Reddy's "lackeys."