Election mood sets in at SCB

Even before nominations are filed for ward positions, campaigning begins

Though candidate nominations are yet to be filed, the contest to Secunderabad Cantonment Board has already heated up.

Those vying for ward positions in SCB, notably past board members who have been elected more than once, have begun campaigning either for themselves or for their kin. SCB has eight wards with a population said to exceed three lakhs, though registered number of voters is only 1.58 lakh. Another 12,000 residents have applied for enrolment. Polls are scheduled to be held on January 11.

For the first time, SCB elections are being conducted through electronic voting machines. These machines will have symbols allotted to finalised nominees on December 20. As candidates contest like independents, symbols allotted to major political parties are not allotted. This time around, 64 symbols have been made available for the candidates to pick. However, SCB polls are not bereft of politics.

Major political parties in the fray, Congress, TRS and TDP, would be supporting its members who fight the polls. As one past board member puts it, the parties would bear the campaigning expenditure and have its minister campaign for the candidates to ensure victory.

“Each candidate is likely to spend around Rs. 20 lakh on average in SCB, while in two wards the amount is likely to be higher to woo voters,” said a past board member, who did not wish to be named. Unlike general elections, SCB elections do not have a cap on expenditure.

With TRS in power at State level, nearly three members of the previous board and their followers have joined the party. Word has it the members jumped parties after Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao promised to provide additional water supply to Karkhana area to ease water problems in SCB area.

Extension given

Civilian members were last elected to the SCB in 2008 and their term had expired in 2013. A one-year extension was given till June 2014. But, after that the SCB polls were not held immediately as it was decided that they would be held along with elections to other cantonment boards in the country.