130 candidates file nominations for Munugodu bypoll

Hyderabad: As many as 130 candidates have filed nominations for Munugodu Assembly by-election in Telangana.

The last day for filing of nominations was October 14. The election authorities took up scrutiny on October 15 while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 17.

Besides the candidates of the three main political parties Nominations (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, contestants from smaller parties and independents have filed their papers for November 3 by-election.

The by-election is necessitated by the resignation of Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who quit Congress to join the BJP. He has filed the nomination as the BJP candidate.

The ruling TRS has fielded K. Prabhakar Reddy, who had lost to Rajagopal Reddy in the 2018 elections. Prabhakar Reddy was elected from the same constituency in 2014.

The Congress party has fielded a woman leader - Palvai Sravanthi.

A total of 142 nominations were received by the returning officer. As many as 85 nominations were filed on the last day.

However, the number of contestants is 130 as candidates of major parties have filed more than one set of nomination papers.

Candidates of Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and several smaller parties have also filed nominations. Majority of the contestants are independents. They include some unemployed students of Osmania University and those displaced by the Cherlagudem reservoir.

This is the highest number of nominations filed for the constituency in more than two decades. In 1996, a record 480 nominations were filed. Several candidates have entered the fray to draw attention to the problem of fluorosis in the constituency.