Munugode bypoll in Telangana: 47 candidates in the fray, over 25% voting in four hours

Munugode bypoll in Telangana: There are a total of 47 candidates in the fray but the main contest is among three major players -- TRS, BJP, and Congress. The bypoll was necessitated after sitting MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy resigned from the Congress to join the BJP in August. He is now contesting on the BJP ticket.

Hyderabad: Over 25 percent polling was registered in the first four hours of voting in the by-election to Munugode Assembly seat in Telangana on Thursday. According to reports coming in, the polling began on a dull note at 7 am and it picked up momentum after 9 am with a large number of voters, including women, seen queued up at the polling booths. Officials at the office of Telangana Chief Electoral Office (CEO) stated that 25.80 percent voter turnout was recorded by 11 am. 

Talking to reporters, CEO Vikas Raj said that the polling process is underway in a smooth manner, adding that any snag in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is being rectified immediately by the staff. The CEO cited that two cases were lodged and six persons have been arrested during the checking in the wake of complaints about the presence of non-voters in the constituency.

The polling process began at all 298 polling stations in the constituency in Nalgonda district at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. Over 2.41 lakh electorate, half of them women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the political fortunes of 47 candidates.

47 candidates in the fray; main contest among TRS, BJP and Congress 

There are a total of 47 candidates in the fray but the main contest is among three major players -- TRS, BJP, and Congress. The bypoll was necessitated after sitting MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy resigned from the Congress to join the BJP in August. He is now contesting on the BJP ticket.

The TRS has fielded former MLA Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy, who had lost to Rajagopal Reddy in 2018, while the Congress has fielded Palvai Sravanthi Reddy, daughter of former MP Palvai Goverdhan Reddy.

The by-election is being described as the costliest in the country with the political parties accusing each other of distributing money, liquor and even gold to lure the voters.

Congress candidate Palvai Sravanthi complained to the CEO that a fake campaign is being run on social media against her by morphing her photograph.

Notably, Central election observer Pankaj Kumar reportedly visited a few polling centres to monitor the voting process.

Poll authorities are monitoring the process through webcasting from all polling stations. For the smooth conduct of the voting process, 1,492 polling personnel have been deployed. The poll authorities have also deployed 199 micro observers

As many as 3,366 state police personnel and 15 companies of central forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful and free and fair polling. Authorities were especially focusing on 105 polling stations which have been identified as critical.

For the first time, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued new EPIC cards with six security features, including a hologram.

Meanwhile, the police seized Rs 12 lakhs in cash in two separate incidents in the constituency. A search operation was carried out at Chandur following complaints that some leaders were distributing money among voters. Police seized Rs 2 lakhs but the accused managed to escape. In another case, Rs 10 lakhs was seized from Mallapparajupalli in Nampally mandal.

(With IANS Inputs)