Hyderabad: As Munugode by-polls sets in on November 3, minority communities such as Christians and Muslims can create an imbalance of votes. Media reports have hinted at political parties taking down the phone numbers of minority voters who work in Hyderabad to ensure they cast their votes.
According to a report by The Times of India (TOI), the main parties – Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress – are doing their best to woo the minorities.
There are around 15,000 people forming Muslim and Christian voters. TOI reports that most of them are young men and women who work in various corporates in Hyderabad city. However, even though they have shifted to Hyderabad for better living, they have retained their voting rights in Munugode. Hence they play a crucial role in the spread of votes.
To woo the minority communities the TRS and Congress are visiting churches and mosques every Sunday and Friday respectively.
Congress candidate Palvai Sravanthi was quoted by TOI, “I have been visiting as many churches as possible on Sundays to interact with the Christian community. My message to them is clear that it is only the Congress that is genuine in its efforts to provide safety and security to the minorities.”
The Telangana Congress minorities cell chairman Shaik Abdulla Sohail said that it was a challenge to convince young men and women who have voting rights in Munugode but are settled in Hyderabad to participate in the by-poll.
“Many of them are working in various places in Greater Hyderabad and its surroundings. Though the distance between Munugode and Hyderabad is not much, convincing them to come down to the constituency on the polling day is a challenge,” TOI quoted Sohail.
The Munugode by-poll is scheduled to take place on Thursday (November 3).
