1,350 nominations filed for GWMC polls

High drama and tense moments mark filing of nominations

Warangal: High drama and tense moments marked the filing of nominations for Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) elections on Wednesday. The filing of nominations continued until late evening hours as hundreds of contestants from all parties turned up to file nominations.

A total of 1,350 nominations were filed for Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation elections on Wednesday, the last day for filing nominations. A total of 1,250 nominations were filed on Wednesday alone. The scrutiny of nominations would take place on Thursday. Meanwhile, tense moments were seen at the residence of TRS senior leader V Lakshmikantha Rao in Hanamkonda where Deputy CM K Srihari, ministers T Harish Rao and E Rajender held discussions with aspirants and the coordination committee members.

The TRS, though confident of winning of elections, unusually prolonged the process of confirming the party tickets to the aspirants due to unprecedented competition for the party tickets. Since morning, the leaders were engaged in convincing the aspirants who expressed dissent over denial of ticket while promising to accommodate them in nominated posts.

Many of the candidates have come to Lakshmikantha Rao’s residence along with their family members to seek the tickets. Some even threatened to commit suicide while some wept publicly at the denial of ticket. ‘I have been working with the party since inception but I am denied ticket,’ lamented a candidate, called Ramesh of first division.

The same was the complaint of a woman, called Sammakka who wanted to contest from 12th ward. She wept inconsolably at the denial of ticket, but to no avail. It was learnt that on behalf of the TRS, about seven to 10 persons have filed their nominations. But none of them were given B-forms. The candidates, whose names were finalised, were also not given Bforms.

The party leaders were expected to submit the B-forms directly to the officials on Thursday, on which the scrutiny of nominations takes place. Until 8 pm on Wednesday the TRS has confirmed tickets to 51 candidates and the remaining seven candidates’ names would be finalised either by the end of the day or on Thursday, the party sources told The Hans India.

Interestingly, the Congress, TDP, and BJP candidates were also not given B-forms confirming their candidature. The candidates of these parties would be given Bforms on Thursday as it was being done by the TRS. This, according to the leaders of the above parties, was a measure meant to welcome and accommodate any possible rebels in the TRS into their parties.

The bottom line is that the TRS leadership has made the party aspirants who filed their nominations on Wednesday to sign withdrawal forms in advance so as to eliminate from the contest.