Grads make beeline: Parties keep fingers crossed with huge turnout in MLC polls

Hyderabad: Polling for the two MLC seats under the graduates' constituency is over. Ballot boxes have been sent to the strong rooms.

But the huge voter turnout in the two constituencies Hyderabad - Rangareddy - Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda- Khammam – Warangal has now left the main contestants worried over the outcome of the increased voter turnout.

While candidates of all major parties outwardly exude confidence that the result would go in their favour since voters had come out of their house to cast the votes, all are busy in analysing the polling pattern booth wise to guess what the result could be. The TRS feels that it has succeeded in poll management.

The party leaders have been sending SMS and some had even spoken to a few voters over phone urging them to go and exercise their franchise. In some places even transport facilities were made available.

Hence the TRS feels that effective poll management and impressive voter turnout would help them win both the seats. In 2015 elections, 37 per cent polling was reported in Hyderabad and 54 per cent in Nalgonda segments.

This time the poll percentage is likely to be around 60 per cent in Hyderabad and about 74 percent in the second graduate constituency. There is also a lurking fear that the high turnout could damage their prospects if it is an anti-incumbency vote.

But they feel that they had perhaps slipped somewhere in terms of poll management as compared to TRS particularly in Mahbubnagar and Ranga Reddy districts.

The Congress party was upbeat in the Nalgonda segment where the voting percentage was high in the tribal dominated assembly constituencies. The winning prospects of party candidate Ramulu Naik they feel is bright.

But they also fear that cross voting may play spoilsport. They allege that the TRS had lured voters with money.

The polling also witnessed some interesting moments. Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali, who was highly exuberant, announced that he had voted in favour of Surabhi Vani Devi and appealed to people to support her. The Election Commission took serious note of this since it is a violation of secret ballot system.

In another incident, as the polling was in progress, Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan announced that his party was supporting Vani Devi. The Election Commission took note of this as well and said that it amounts to violation of election code.

Though by and large the polling was peaceful, stray incidents were reported from Mahbubabad where TRS and BJP leaders clashed with each other. BJP candidate G Premender Reddy and Hussain Naik received minor injuries.

Reddy has been shifted to Khammam for medical treatment. The two rival party workers also exchanged blows over the issue of displaying identity cards at a polling booth in Nalgonda town.