The show of strength by candidates on the last day of filing nominations in the city on Wednesday led to traffic snarls on several busy thoroughfares and also arterial roads.
Roads leading to the Hyderabad Collectorate in Nampally and Ranga Reddy Collectorate in Lakdikapul were choked as candidates came in processions with hundreds of followers. The vehicles they came in occupied the roads since only a limited number of people were officially allowed to accompany the candidate to the returning officer.
The situation was similar throughout the day. Poll officials said that 10 nominations were filed for the Hyderabad Parliament constituency and 26 for the Secunderabad Parliament constituency on the last day.
Road barricadedPolice barricaded the road near the Hyderabad Collectorate fearing the onslaught of candidates’ supporters only to be removed given the huge traffic on the road. Traffic flow was hit at Bandlaguda Mandal Office when Mr. Akbaruddin Owaisi came in with his supporters to file his nomination.
Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya too came with a large number of supporters to file his papers. Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu accompanied him. The municipal office on the Khairatabad road was choc-a-block with BJP candidate Ch. Ramachandra Reddy and his followers coming down for filing nomination.
Similar scenes were witnessed on the outskirts where candidates filed nominations for various Assembly constituencies. Despite strict norms on the rallies candidates came in big processions but stopped 100 metres away from the ROs offices to escape from cases being filed.
Nomination process was subdued only when Independents arrived without any fanfare even as officials were busy throughout the day as the stream of candidates wanting to contest continued. Prominent leaders who filed their nominations included Union Minister Sarve Satyanarayana of Congress, GHCC president Danam Nagender, former DGP V. Dinesh Reddy, BJP leaders G. Kishan Reddy, K. Lakshman, Congress leaders Anjan Kumar Yadav, Jayasudha, P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, and former Minister Sabita Indra Reddy’s son, Patlolla Karthik Reddy, and TDP leaders Talasani Srinivas Yadav, T.Prakash Goud, R. Krishnaiah, and C. Malla Reddy.
Traffic jams were also witnessed at the Ranga Reddy Collectorate in Lakdikapul due to huge turnout of crowds.
