A long Dasara for poll-bound Huzurabad

Huzurabad: It's going to be a long Dasara for the voters in Huzurabad Assembly constituency. Thanks to the by-poll to the Huzurabad Assembly seat. In fact, the frenzied season started long ago as soon as Eatala Rajender had quit as MLA, necessitating a by-election to Huzurabad. The TRS which took by-poll as prestigious has been maneuvering its forces to see the back of Eatala, a powerful leader in this part of the region. With Eatala joining the BJP, the by-poll turned into a high voltage contest.

"Literally, the battle for the ballot has paved the way for the distribution of money, liquor and biryani to the cadres. Although it requires a lot of funding they have become part and parcel of electioneering these days especially two heavyweights - TRS and BJP – were trying to hold their cadres together. Moreover, both the BJP and the TRS are affluent political entities and ready to spend a fortune," CS Umamaheshwar Rao, a resident of Huzurabad, told The Hans India.

In order to guard their supporters, both the parties have deployed second rung leaders to ensure door-to-door supply of liquor every day. The liquor is being delivered everyday based on the number of voters in a household, it's learnt. The extravaganza is to continue till polling scheduled on October 30. Liquor flowed like water on Bathukamma and Dasara, along with the supply of mutton and chicken.

With there was no model code of conduct in adjacent constituencies, it has become easy for the leaders to procure and distribute liquor to the voters. As a result, liquor sales have a multifold increase in neighbouring constituencies.

"It's difficult to estimate the quantum of liquor being distributed in Huzurabad constituency which is surrounded by Hanumakonda, Husnabad and Parkal etc segments," an Excise official said, who doesn't want to mention his name. Even though all this was happening, the election observers appear to be feigning 'all is well for obvious reasons,' Umamaheshwar Rao said.