The Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency election will go down in history on many counts like in the number of candidates in contest, the use of number of EVMs and the staff deployed for election duty.
For the first time in the history of elections 12 ballot units of EVMs are being used. Over 21,460 EVMs and 20,000 poll staff and security personnel are being deployed for the conduct of polling.
Though all the three mainline political parties welcomed the filing of nominations by 178 farmers, who are showing their protest against the alleged apathy of TRS and BJP governments in the State and at the Centre respectively in setting up turmeric board and ensuring minimum support price to crops, they are very much concerned over the outcome.
The constituency has a little over 15.53 lakh voters and of them farmers constitute about 3.73 lakh. There are more women voters than males. There is a significant population of Muslims and North Indians.
Farmers’ campaign
Farmers who continue to be in contest even after pressures and persuasions are campaigning in villages asking their families and other farmers to vote for farmer candidates and not to vote for any party or independents. If the message is well received it would impact the result reducing the majority of the winning candidate.
The constituency which turned a citadel for Telangana Rashstra Samithi by winning all the seven segments in the December 2018 Assembly elections with comfortable majorities assumes significance with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha contesting for the second term.
Congress has pitted its All India secretary and two time MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud, while the BJP fielded Arvind, younger son of TRS Rajya Sabha Member Dharmapuri Srinivas. Unlike other elections, polling booths have been set up in open places under tents, at function halls and schools as it requires substantial space with as many as 185 candidates, including 178 farmers and remaining belonging to national, regional and recognized parties being in the fray.
Voting time
Each voter is expected to take one minute to cast vote compared to 25 to 27 seconds in the normal election. The polling time is also likely to be extended from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. depending on the queues before polling booths.
Though the authorities are confident of the smooth conduct of polling, a sliver of fear lurks in remote corner of their minds until everything passes off peacefully. About 600 engineers and technicians from Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru are kept available to attend any technical snag at any moment, according to Collector and District Election Officer M. Ram Mohan Rao. “It’s a challenge for us and we are taking care in every aspect,” he said.
High Court moved
On the other hand, farmers after repeated appeals to the Chief Electoral Officer and the Election Commission of India moved the High Court as a last ditch effort on their demands to postpone election and conduct polling with ballot. They say that many of them have not been allotted symbols on time resulting in delay in launching their campaign. Authorities, however, denied their allegation.
