About 74% of the registered 5,05,565 graduate voters turned up to exercise their franchise for the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ MLC polling, held across 12 districts in the composite constituency on Sunday.
As per the tentative report published by office of the Returning Officer and District Collector Prashant J Patil, available to mediapersons at around 7.30 p.m., the polling recorded in the undivided districts was Warangal (75.42%), Khammam (74.5%) and Nalgonda (74.8%). Siddipet district, which has five polling stations, recorded the maximum 82.28%.
Polling began at a snail’s pace at 8 a.m., recording just around 7% aggregate turnout. The two-hourly reports released by the RO showed progress after noon, with 21.77% at 12 noon, 43.36% till 2 p.m. and 74 % by 4 p.m., when the polling was declared closed. However, officials said, all the voters present within the premises or inside the gate of the polling station were allowed to vote. Therefore, there would be a difference between the figures reported at 4 p.m. and the final report.
The report released by Assistant Returning Officer in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, at around 7.45 p.m., declared its final polling percentage as 81.22. The district with 54 polling stations in 17 mandals witnessed at least 75% polling, except for two stations in Ramannapet (68.02% and 68.38%) and one in Choutuppal (72.50%). Three stations, two in Bibinagar and one in Valigonda crossed the 90% turnout, the maximum.
The polling exercise passed smoothly with no major disturbances reported. However, a number of allegations were raised against the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi by its contenders Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left and other independent candidates. BJP and Congress leaders, who showed widely circulated videos, alleged that TRS leaders had distributed cash for votes in Suryapet, Bhuvanagiri and other areas. Left organisations alleged that the official machinery was “for TRS”.
Earlier in the day, messages on social media platforms went viral that several postal ballot votes were being managed at the Miryalaguda DSP’s office. The official later gave a clarification that the news was fake, and the miscreants behind the incident would be nabbed soon and action initiated.
