A festive atmosphere prevailed on the roads, lanes and bylanes in the Polavaram ST Assembly constituency which were hitherto dull and drab and had little campaign activity. It was a busy day for the returning officers as many candidates chose to file the nominations on Friday. Although candidates are not allowed to take out processions close to the EC offices, the political parties stormed the roads with rallies in a show of strength.
The workers waited patiently at the cross roads near Jangareddygudem bypass for their leader to arrive and accompany them up to the RDO office.
Cheers and whistles rented the air as the candidates reached the Polavaram Market Yard Committee office here. They accompanied contesting candidates. It led to traffic jams on the bypass road, and near the RDO office. The traffic on the bypass came to a grinding halt as the cadres hardly allowed the vehicles to pass the junction. In fact, the 3-km stretch road from bypass to the RDO was a chock-a-block.
TDP candidate B. Srinivasulu drove to the RDO office on a bike, while the YSRCP candidate Balraj preferred a specially designed campaign jeep. Vanka Kanchanamala, who was denied ticket by the TDP, also filed the nomination papers as Independent candidate. K. Chandrasekhar from the Congress and Dharmula Suresh of CPI(ML) New Democracy filed their papers.
Jubilant mood
The mood was jubilant and the rallies were a show of solidarity as the leaders of various political parties drove to the RDO office from Butttayapalem. The filing of nominations turned out to be a show of strength and popular support for the CPI(ML) New Democracy, which has been mobilising the people on issues like compensation to the displaced of the Polavaram project and the land acquisition.
As the rally and processions reached the RDO office, which slipped into security cordon, the cadres showed great enthusiasm. Heavy police presence and Central forces was seen at the RDO office.
The people gathered near the RDO office here as their beloved leaders filed their nominations.
