MLC elections pass off peacefully in Telangana

Voters braving the heat patiently stood in the queue lines at many polling centres to exercise their franchise.

Hyderabad: Polling for the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ constituencies MLC elections passed off peacefully on Sunday.

Voting, which began on a slow note, picked pace by afternoon. Voters braving the heat patienly stood in the queue lines at many polling centres to exercise their franchise. Women and senior citizens too turned up in good numbers to cast their vote.

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Till reports last came in, the poll percentage in Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency was recorded tentatively at 64.87 per cent. In the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituency, the poll percentage was recorded at 55.55.

Considering the voter turnout, Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel issued instructions to set up additional polling compartments at the polling booths where long queues were seen.

Later in the evening, the CEO said elections had passed off peacefully and the poll percentage in both the two constituencies was much higher compared to the previous elections.

Polling commenced at 8 am and continued till 4 pm. At a few polling centres, officials permitted voters, who were in the queue lines, to cast their votes despite the scheduled time getting elapsed. Elaborate arrangements were in place for the convenience of voters. Polling staff strictly followed Covid guidelines at the polling booths and ensured that the voters maintained physical distancing. They were permitted to cast their vote only after sanitising their hands. At many booths the staff even made arrangements for thermal screening of voters.

Large marquees were arranged at majority of the polling centres to ensure shade for voters. Heavy police bandobust was made to ensure smooth conduct of the elections, besides taking up web casting at the booths.

TRS working president K T Rama Rao exercised his franchise at Shaikpet Tahsildar office in Banjara Hills early in the day. Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar were among the prominent persons, who voted at different polling centres in Hyderabad.

In all, 164 candidates were in the fray with as many as 93 candidates including TRS candidate Vani Devi, contesting from Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency, while 71 nominees, including TRS candidate Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, contesting from Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda.

With many candidates being in the fray, jumbo ballot papers and big-sized ballot boxes were used. In both the constituencies, nearly 10 lakh graduates were eligible to exercise their franchise in preferential method at the 1,530 polling stations. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 17.