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Massive turnout keeps contestants on the edge
Massive turnout registering about 80 per cent in more than 30 Assembly segments in districts which are considered TRS and Praja Front strongholds in the justconcluded elections is giving jitters to both the contestants While the TRS claims that the big turnout is a clear indication of a positive vote for Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, Peoples Front leaders assert that voters had come out
Hyderabad: Massive turnout registering about 80 per cent in more than 30 Assembly segments in districts which are considered TRS and Praja Front strongholds in the just-concluded elections is giving jitters to both the contestants. While the TRS claims that the big turnout is a clear indication of a positive vote for Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, People’s Front leaders assert that voters had come out in large numbers to express their dissent against the TRS government.
In Madhira Assembly segment, represented by TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, 92 per cent voter turnout was reported. Leaders said majority of Assembly constituencies in the erstwhile Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Rangareddy and Khammam districts, where the Congress and TDP are strong, reported huge turnout.
In North Telangana districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak and Karimnagar, voting percentage was a bit low when compared to the south Telangana districts. The TRS leaders maintained that voters in villages came out in support of the KCR government on a large scale for the successful implementation of a slew of welfare schemes mainly pension, Rythu Bandhu and Kalyana Lakshmi. A section of people who are against the Congress and TDP alliance also supported the TRS. Farmers and women are also the big beneficiaries of the KCR’s schemes, they said.
For instance, the leaders said, poll turnout in Parakala, Banswada, Narasmpeta, Huzurabad, Kollapur, Manakonduru and Mudhol crossed 80 per cent. The three Assembly segments are the strongholds of the TRS. In 2014 elections, the voting percentage did not cross 75 in the three segments. The rural voters in these constituencies made beeline since morning to exercise their franchise.
The People’s Front leaders claim that the promise of six cooking gas cylinders free of cost every year and Rs 4,000 pension for two eligible persons in every family drew good response from the voters. In the Congress and TDP strongholds - Wanaparthy, Alampur, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Munugodu and Wyra, the poll percentage was between 81 and 85.
The leaders of the wo parties said that the huge turnout in many constituencies will help either the TRS or People’s Front to secure comfortable majority of 60 seats out of the total 119 seats in Telangana Assembly. The voting percentage was a mere 51 in the Assembly segments which come under the purview of Hyderabad district limits.
