Over 50 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 p.m. Saturday during the bypolls in Telangana’s Medak Lok Sabha constituency and Andhra Pradesh’s Nandigama assembly constituency.
Barring minor incidents, polling was peaceful, said Election Commission officials.
Voting was brisk in Medak, where 54 per cent polling was recorded till 3 p.m.
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Nandigama also witnessed heavy turnout, with 58 per cent voters casting their ballot till 3 p.m.
Election officials said polling began in both the constituencies at 7 a.m. on a dull note but picked up as the day progressed. Voters will be allowed to cast their votes till 6 p.m.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) developed snags at a few places, resulting in delay in the start of the polling process. The officials later replaced the faulty EVMs.
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Tight security arrangements were made. Officials in Hyderabad monitored the polling through webcasting.
Workers of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the opposition Congress clashed at Kothapet in Medak constituency. Police used force to disperse the clashing groups.
Villagers in Peddapur boycotted the polling to protest lack of proper roads and other development work.
In Gangapur village, people did not participate in the voting because election officials did not set up a polling centre near their village.
Over 15.43 lakh voters were eligible to cast their franchise in the prestigious Medak parliamentary constituency, where election authorities set up 1,817 polling centres.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, whose resignation caused the vacancy, and his wife cast their votes in their native Chintamadaka village in Siddipet mandal.
State Irrigation Minister Harish Rao cast his vote in Siddipet assembly segment, one of the seven assembly segments under the parliamentary constituency.
About 10,000 security and polling personnel were deployed in Medak constituency as part of elaborate arrangements to ensure free and fair elections.
Fourteen candidates are in fray in Medak but it is mainly a triangular contest.
K. Prabhakar Reddy of the TRS may have a smooth sailing. He is pitted against BJP—TDP combine’s Jagga Reddy and the Congress party’s Sunitha Lakhsma Reddy.
Prabhakar Reddy cast his vote in Pocharam while Jagga Reddy voted in Sangareddy. Sunitha exercised her franchise in Gumaram village.
Heavy polling was witnessed in Nandigama assembly constituency in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
Over 1.84 lakh voters were eligible to vote at 200 polling centres.
Four candidates are in fray in Nandigama, a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has fielded Tangirala Soumya, daughter of Tangirala Prabhakar Rao, whose death caused the vacancy.
Soumya is locked in a direct fight against B. Babu Rao of the Congress. The two other candidates are independents.