E-Paper
65% voters exercise franchise in Telangana MLC elections; polling peaceful
In all, 10,36,565 graduates including 3,67,808 women were enrolled as voters in the elections for the two MLC seats in these six districts. Polling took place in 1,530 polling stations in these districts.
Nearly 65 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the elections to the two vacant seats in the Telangana state legislative council from graduates’ constituencies on Sunday.
The polling percentage in Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahabubnagar graduates’ constituency was 64.87 per cent, it was around 65 per cent in Khammam-Warangal-Nalgonda constituency at the closing hour of polling at 4 pm.
In all, 10,36,565 graduates including 3,67,808 women were enrolled as voters in the elections for the two MLC seats in these six districts. Polling took place in 1,530 polling stations in these districts.
“The polling percentage is extremely satisfactory. There were still a large number of voters at the polling stations in both the constituencies and they would be allowed to cast their vote. This might increase the polling percentage slightly,” Telangana chief electoral officer Shashank Goel said.
Goel said the polling was by and large peaceful, barring stray incidents of clashes between the cadres of the two different political parties. At Nellikuduru town of Mahabubabad district, the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that its candidate G Premender Reddy was assaulted by the activists of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, when he opposed distribution of money by the TRS among voters at a function hall. Reddy was shifted to a private hospital in Khammam town.
Senior TRS leader and panchayat raj minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, however, denied the BJP leaders’ allegations. “Reddy was not assaulted at all. They are enacting a drama to gain sympathy,” he said.
The chief electoral officer said he had received a complaint from the BJP on the alleged attack on its candidate. “We have called for a report from the district administration and shall take appropriate action,” he said.
All India Congress Committee spokesperson Dasoju Sravan alleged that the TRS had resorted to large-scale violation of election rules during the MLC elections. He demanded action against state home minister Md Mahmood Ali, who openly divulged the candidate’s name he had voted for.
He also alleged that the chief electoral officer had remained blind to the blatant violation of norms by TRS leaders, who had displayed party flags, flex boards, caps and scarfs at various polling stations. The CEO did not take any action though videos of the TRS leaders distributing money went viral on social media.
“Shashank Goel is a representative of the Election Commission of India, but he was acting as an agent of TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao,” he alleged.
TRS working president and state industries minister K T Rama Rao thanked the party workers and leaders who worked hard in the electioneering. He also thanked the voters for their overwhelming response to his call to exercise their franchise in these crucial elections.
