Hyderabad, Nov 30 : The Telangana Assembly polls passed off peacefully barring a few stray incidents, as close to 64 percent of the voters turned up to exercise their democratic rights on Thursday.
An election official said 63.94 percent of the total 3.26 crore voters turned up in the polling booth till 5 PM, the scheduled closing time of the democratic exercise. However, of the total 119 constituencies, the voting concluded an hour earlier in 13 Naxalism-affected seats.
The final polling figures are likely to go up, as the election authorities allowed voters who were in the queues at closing time to exercise their franchise.
Jangaon constituency registered the highest polling percentage of 83.34, while the lowest voter turnout of 27.87% was from Yakutpura assembly segment, according to an official release from the Chief Electoral Office here.
Gajwel, from where CM and BRS supremo KCR is contesting, 76.17% votes were polled. The polling percentage was 68.94 at Kamareddy, from where too KCR is in the fray against TPCC president Revanth Reddy.
Sircilla, from where KCR’s son and Minister K T Rama Rao is seeking re-election, reported 73.42 percent polling while 70.50% votes were registered at Kodangal assembly segment – the second seat from where Revanth Reddy is trying his electoral luck.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the voter turnout was 73 percent.
Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj said: ‘By and large the polling was peaceful barring one or two minor skirmishes’ reported in different places. The CEO said that in two places, EVMs were changed due to technical glitches.
The CEO said his office received complaints against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K. Kavitha and other political leaders, which were referred to the District Election Officers concerned seeking their reports.
“We have received a complaint against Ms. Kavitha saying that she has violated the Model Code of Conduct. We have referred the complaint to the DEO concerned for a detailed report. We have also received complaints against other leaders. All such complaints have been sent to the DEOs for their reply,” he told reporters.
In Hyderabad, police briefly detained and registered cases against MBT Yakutpura candidate Amjedullah Khan and AIMIM leader Yaser Arafath for violating the model code of conduct (MCC).
Arafath was detained after he allegedly snatched a voter list from some persons.
Both were later released.
Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy wrote to the Election Commission of India and the CEO, alleging ‘electoral malpractices’ by BRS candidates and their workers.
Reports said Tension prevailed at Booth number 244 in Jangaon constituency when the BRS-Congress-BJP clashed. Police had to resort to a cane charge to disperse the cadres.
In Bodhan Town in Nizamabad district, BRS and Congress leaders clashed prompting police intervention. In Khanapur village in Ibrahmipatnam constituency, police lathicharged the clashing BRS and Congress workers. Some party workers were detained and whisked away.
The single-phase poll, held amidst unprecedented security arrangements. saw greater enthusiasm among voters in the rural areas than in the urban centres.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Ministers, leaders from various political parties, and bureaucrats, along with their families, were among those who exercised their democratic choice. Notable film personalities, including megastar Chiranjeevi, also cast his vote in Hyderabad.
In 2018, ruling BRS had swept the elections by winning 88 seats while Congress managed to get 19 seats. AIMIM bagged 7 seats, TDP triumphed in two seats and BJP could only win 1 seat.
The counting of votes to decide the fortunes of 2290 candidates will be taken up on December 3 along with four other states – Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan – where the assembly elections were held during the past few weeks
