People waiting in a queue to cast their vote for the byelection for the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ MLC Constituency at UPS Boyawada in Nalgonda district on Monday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
The election season in Telangana has come to an end for the time-being with polling for the Khammam-Nalgonda-Warangal Graduates constituency byelection of the Telangana Legislative Council passing off peacefully on Monday. Counting of votes is scheduled for June 5.
Polling was around 69% by 4 p.m. and was peaceful with no untoward incidents reported. The constituency had 4,63,839 eligible graduate voters across three joint districts. As many as 52 candidates are in the fray but the contest will be between nominees of three major parties — YouTuber Chinthapandu Naveen alias Teenmaar Mallanna of the Congress; A. Rakesh Reddy of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and G. Premender Reddy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The election was held with ballot papers due to the preferential voting system used to choose the candidate. All three parties wooed voters with not only promises but also money. Special events were held with groups of teachers, youngsters and local influencers by the candidates.
Some videos went viral on social media in which the Opposition parties and independent candidates accused the ruling Congress of distributing money to voters. At Narketpally, independent candidate Ashok Goud staged a dharna in front of the police station alleging that Congress leaders had attacked him and damaged his mobile phone when he tried to capture the distribution of money among voters at a function hall.
Good response
Khammam district recorded a voter turnout of 67.63% in the by-election that passed off peacefully without any untoward incident across the district. As many as 56,730 voters exercised their franchise at 118 polling stations in the district, official sources said.
Khammam Collector V.P. Gautham and his wife Gauthami cast their ballot at a polling booth in Government Women’s Degree College in Khammam.
CPI State Secretary and Kothagudem MLA K. Sambasiva Rao exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Chunchupalli mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
The sealed ballot boxes were shifted to the designated reception centres for dispatch to the strongrooms in Nalgonda under tight security. The counting of votes will be taken up in the district headquarters town of Nalgonda on June 5.
