Tirupati: The Congress on Sunday announced PCC joint secretary and local woman leader R Sridevi as its candidate for the Tirupati Assembly by-election.  The PCC and AICC have approved the candidature of Sridevi as party candidate, according to District Congress Committee president P Venugopal Reddy.

In a press release here on Sunday, Reddy said that following the party district unit decision to contest the by-election, the party high command gave its consent to field Sridevi as party candidate in the election. He said Sridevi would file her nomination papers at the RO office at 11 am on January 27 (Tuesday), after which a meeting will be held by the party at Annmaya circle. Party senior leader and former MP Chinta Mohan said party had decided to field Sridevi, who has been working for women welfare in the town to highlight government’s betrayal of SHG women. “The contest by Sridevi, an SHG women group leader, will remind the cheating by TDP,'' he said.

Tirupati bypoll will be held on Februay 13.