Huzurnagar, from where Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, is seeking re-election, could throw up a surprise as the little-known candidate of TRS, Kasoju Shankaramma, mother of Srikantha Chary, who immolated himself for cause of Telangana, appeared to be the first choice of voters.
That Shankaramma is giving a tough fight to a seasoned politician was surprising. “The improvement in TRS prospects is amazing,” says Murali, a tax consultant who practises in Hyderabad. Though the Congress nominee is credited with taking up development works in a big way but his attitude towards his constituents may go against him.
“Shankaramma was not in the reckoning and it was a fight between Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy and YSR Congress nominee Gattu Srikanth Reddy. But the scene changed and she could spring a surprise, felt Arun, a localite.
In the neighbouring Kodad constituency, TPCC working president’s wife N. Padmavathi Reddy and TDP’s B. Mallaiah Yadav could be locked in a photo finish. In Suryapet, the race for MLA seat is between sitting MLA Ramreddy Damodar Reddy of Congress, P. Ramesh Reddy of TDP and G. Jagadish Reddy of TRS.
Polling slow, but picks upEarlier, polling commenced on a slow note in Nakrekal, Suryapet, Kodad and Huzunagar constituencies. Nakrekal, struggled to reach even 35 per cent in the first four hours. “A sizeable population of Nakrekal and the other three constituencies live in Hyderabad but they did not come to vote this time,” observed a polling agent in one of the polling stations at Narketpalli.
Malfunctioning of EVMs was reported from polling stations in all these four segments in the first hour but they were rectified and the polling went on without any problems. However, some voters having photo identity cards issued by the Election Commission were puzzled to find their names missing from the electoral rolls at most of the places visited by this correspondent in the four constituencies on Wednesday.
