Contestants on edge over election results

Secunderabad: There is a statewide interest in the election results of the Secunderabad Assembly constituency, with hot-topic discussions taking place on who will win the elections. Caretaker Minister T Padma Rao Goud, Mudiraj Mahasabha leader Kasani Gnaneshwar and BJP leader Bandepalli Satish are the major party leaders contested in the constituency. Padma Rao appears confident of victory banking on the welfare schemes taken up by the TRS government, besides establishment of a junior college and construction of a multi-purpose function hall in the constituency. PF candidate Gnaneshwar is equally confident of winning the elections. Satish also sounds extremely optimistic based on a popular assumption that a pro-BJP wind is blowing across the country. Besides, he points out that people want change.

Also, people have been wagering on who will emerge successful in the poll battle, on votes to be secured by a party, majority and on who will be able to retain deposits. Add to it, the claims by Telangana State leaders since the commencement of elections that they would be successful, while asserting and throwing challenges. Bets running into thousands are also taking place on the majority figures. Even the Congress and BJP leaders are joining the betting, on the basis of their own calculations that suit their own interests.

Meanwhile, the constituency counting centre has been set up in Osmania University Distance Education Centre Building, amid tight security, comprising three levels during 15 rounds. The poll staff on duty at the centre is 50. There are 14 tables. All arrangements have been completed for the counting. Prohibitory orders banning the gathering of four or more persons near the centre have been imposed on Tuesday. No vehicle is to be allowed within 100 metres of the centre. The staff involved has also been given the required training. The results are to be announced at the end of each round of counting. As many as 210 polling centres had been set up across the constituency for 237,178 voters. Of them, only 135,191 exercised their franchise. In the last two months, the parties involved in the election fray strove to usher in a change among voters, trying their best by adopting every means. They have not disregarded even one vote while seeking to create awareness about the need for people to go to the polling booth and give their preferences.

Of course, it is a different matter that there has not been much change among voters, going by the voting percentage in Secunderabad remaining almost unchanged. However, a redeeming feature of the current elections is the active participation by those who viewed voting as a sacred duty and youngsters exercising their constitutional right for the first time. Unfortunately, many could not vote after finding their names missing from the list. They have had to go back disappointed after reaching the booths. Many in districts treated the day as a holiday to participate in gala events in their native places. It contributed to a two per cent fall in the voting than that of 2014.