Telangana Polls 2023: Unusual increase in number of independents in Khammam

In Palair Assembly constituency, of the 37 contesting candidates, 24 are independent candidates. In Kothagudem constituency, 19 independent candidates are in the contest while the total number of candidates is 30

Khammam: Unlike the past two Assembly elections, an unusual number of independent candidates are in the fray this time around in erstwhile Khammam district.

In Palair Assembly constituency, of the 37 contesting candidates, 24 are independent candidates. In Kothagudem constituency, 19 independent candidates are in the contest while the total number of candidates is 30.

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In Khammam, 17 contestants are independents while 33 candidates are in the poll fray. There are 10 independent candidates each in Sathupalli and Pinapaka constituencies. It may be noted that in Sathupalli, two independents contested in 2014 and three in the 2018 election.

According to political analysts, the presence of independent candidates gives the voters a better choice to exercise their franchise as well as increases the voter turnout in the election. Some studies found that independent candidates increase votes for regional parties at the cost of the candidate contesting from a party that has a poll alliance.

Studies have shown that a large number of independent candidates may divide the opposition votes and benefit the ruling party candidates. The downside of the presence of more independent candidates is that they decrease the winning margin of the elected candidate.

Interestingly, independent candidates are in high numbers in Palair, Khammam and Kothagudem constituencies where the contest is tough between the ruling and opposition parties.

In Kothagudem, in the 2014 election two independent candidates secured 24,863 votes with an independent candidate Adavelli Krishna got 22,989 votes with a vote share of 13.91 percent. In 2018 nine independent candidates secured 5,710 votes.

In Yellandu, nine independent candidates secured 35,562 votes in the 2014 election with a left wing leader Gummadi Narsaiah who contested as an independent secured 19,343 votes with a vote share of 12.83 percent. In 2018, 12 independent candidates secured 21,130 votes while Narsaiah secured 12,899 votes.

In Khammam, independents got 3213 votes in the 2014 election while in the 2018 election independent candidates secured 3,560 votes. In Palair, independents secured 8,389 votes in the 2014 election while in the 2018 election six independents secured 9,805 votes. As a large number of independents in the poll fray, votes cast in their favour is expected to increase this time in both the constituencies.

In addition to the independent candidates, similarity of names is causing worry to the contestants. In Pinapaka, Congress candidate Payam Venkateswarlu’s name corresponds with names of Aabaad Party candidate Alem Venkateswarlu and an independent Kodem Venkateswarlu.

In Madhira, TRS’s Lingala Kamal Raju name bears a slight resemblance to BJP’s P Vijaya Raju.