Graduates’ MLC poll: Total voter turnout stands at around 62%

Hyderabad: Nearly 62 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, chief electoral officer said.

The polling percentage in the Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahabubnagar graduates’ constituency was 59.96 per cent, while it was around 64.70 per cent in the Khammam-Warangal-Nalgonda constituency at the closing hour of polling at 4 pm.

The number of voters in the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda stands at 5,05,565, where 71 candidates are contesting the poll and in the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency, there are 5,31,268 voters, with 93 candidates in the fray. 

They include 6.68 lakh men, 3.66 lakh women and 135 transgenders. in the two constituencies. Polling took place in 1,530 polling stations in these districts, where over 12,000 staff were deployed.

“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 (BJP) alleged that its candidate G Premender Reddy was assaulted by the activists of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) when he opposed the 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.

Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee spokesperson Sravan Dasoju alleged largescale violation of election rules by the ruling TRS party leaders during the MLC elections. He demanded action against all the violations, including against state home minister Md Mahmood Ali, who openly divulged the candidate’s name he had voted for.

Counting of votes will take place in Saroornagar indoor stadium on March 17, and the election process will come to an end on March 22.