72% polling in Telangana
First Elections In Telangana: 72% Polling in T. The electoral battle is over in Telangana. As their dream of separate State of Telangana is about to be a reality in less than five weeks
- Polling largely peaceful, even in Maoist areas
- Lowest-ever voter turnout in Hyderabad
- Both Congress, TRS hopeful of majority
Hyderabad: The electoral battle is over in Telangana. As their dream of separate State of Telangana is about to be a reality in less than five weeks, the people of Telangana turned out in big numbers to cast their votes in the largely peaceful polls? An air of expectancy enveloped the region.
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The fate of candidates who are contesting for 119 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha projects has been sealed in the EVMs. If the voting percentage (over 72%) is any indication, it appears that the pink party’s dream to form the first government in the 29th state of India is likely to become a reality. This has sent the TRS rank and file into an upbeat mood. According to them, the turnout has been very high and much more than their expectations in Karimnagar, Warangal and Medak districts. They claim that even in South Telangana they would be winning a good number of seats.
TRS leader T Harish Rao said that they are fully satisfied over their performance and exuded confidence that they would win around 65-70 seats and would be able to form the government. They said the Congress would be relegated to second position.
However, in the evening TPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah said that the claim of Harish Rao was only part of day-dreaming. "The huge turnout of voters in Telangana is an indication that T people have thronged polling stations to cast their votes for the Congress to express gratitude for delivering the T State. We are confident that our party is forming the government in the new State," he said. The authorities had taken all measures to ensure the higher turnout. They had not only declared a holiday for all institutions, shops and companies including IT firms but also enforced ensured compliance of their orders. As many as 265 candidates are in the fray for the Lok Sabha and 1,669 for the assembly constituencies. Technical snag in EVMs led to delay in start of the polling at some polling centres. Prominent among the contestants for LS elections include Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy (Mahabubnagar), TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao (Medak), his daughter K Kavitha (Nizamabad), Lok Satta chief Jayaprakash Narayan (Malkajgiri) and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad).
