MLC by-polls witness 68.35% voter turnout

HYDERABAD: The by-elections for the Khammam-Nalgonda-Warangal Graduates constituency of the Telangana Legislative Council concluded peacefully on Monday with a voter turnout of nearly 68.35%.

A total of 52 candidates contested in this by-election, with the leading candidates being 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 constituency had 4,63,839 eligible graduate voters across three joint districts. Officials reported that 68.65% of polling was recorded by 4 pm.

Due to the preferential voting system employed, electronic voting machines (EVMs) were not used; instead, voting was conducted via ballots. Voters indicated their preferences using a violet-coloured pen provided at polling stations. In contrast to the recent Lok Sabha elections, where ink was applied to the index finger, ink was applied to the middle finger of the left hand in this election. None of the above (NOTA) options were available for this election.

To ensure the election proceeded without incident, police implemented several measures, including closing liquor shops and imposing Section 144 at polling stations. All voters in the queue by 4 pm were allowed to cast their votes. Counting votes for the quota MLC by-election is scheduled for June 5.

Meanwhile, the BRS party accused the ruling Congress party of bribing some voters. A video also went viral on social media showing a group of 'graduate voters' lining up in front of a Congress leader's office in Khammam to collect Rs 500 per vote. However, the ECI authorities have yet to respond to those allegations.

Earlier in the day, mild tension prevailed in Narketpally when an independent candidate, Palakuri Ashok Goud, started a dharna before the local police station. He alleged that the Congress leaders attacked him and snatched his mobile phone when he tried to expose the distribution of money among voters in a nearby function hall. He alleged that the police did not take any action despite Congress leaders' open distribution of money.

This by-election was necessitated by the resignation of BRS leader C Palle Rajeshwar Reddy, who had won the seat in March 2021 but stepped down after being elected as MLA from Jangaon in last year’s assembly elections.