Amaravati, Apr 12 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy said the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) is taking the Tirupati by-poll as a referendum and its Parliamentarians will resign if the election is lost.

"We are definitely taking this election as a referendum. If we win in this election, you resign and if you win our 22 MPs will also resign," said Reddy on Sunday, throwing the challenge to opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

He said TDP state president Kinjarapu Atchannaidu was demanding YSRCP MPs to resign and questioned him back if TDP's three MPs and follower Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishna Raju will also resign if they lose?

The minister said that everybody knows what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), TDP and Pawan Kalyan spoke about the special category status in Tirupati earlier.

"Then what happened to the special category status. Why are BJP people not able to boldly go and ask votes?" he questioned.

Reddy alleged that Kalyan is a 'political paid artist' and recalled how he castigated BJP in the past prior to 2019 elections.

"But those rotten laddus are very fresh now for him. Donning an avatar a day is a habit for these three (Kalyan, BJP and TDP). Everybody knows that these three are contesting the election with a dark understanding," he claimed.

According to the senior YSRCP leader, Kalyan, actor - politician and founder of Janasena is the 'adopted son' of TDP supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

"Will he defend his adopted son or you and me? That's why when the movie (Kalyan's) stopped, Chandrababu took it up as a national issue and spoke. There is no need for us to take them into consideration," he said.