Central forces in Huzurabad
Central para-military forces taking position in the bypoll-bound Huzurabad Assembly constituency on Thursday. Huzurabad is going to polls on Saturday
Huzurabad: As an eerie silence prevails in the Huzurabad Assembly constituency, tension among TRS and BJP parties is clearly visible. The voters despite distribution of cash and liquor are keeping their cards close to their chest and neither the pink party nor the BJP are able to guess which way the votes would go.
Meanwhile, there is also a section of people who complain that they had not received the money. They allege that the leaders who were supposed to distribute might have siphoned off the money. This has pushed the two main parties the TRS and BJP into a state of anxiety as they are not able to guess the voter polarisation.
Both the parties are making arrangements to see that women voters turn out in record numbers since their population is more than male voters. There are 2,36,9465 voters in the constituency. Of them 1,17,933 are male voters and 1,19,012 female voters.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission reviewed the situation and appealed to the voters not to get lured by money or liquor and cast their vote in a free and fair manner.
In view of the reports from the Central intelligence agencies about possible clashes between the ruling TRS and BJP groups on the eve of the bypoll, the Election Commission has deployed State police, including 20 companies of Central forces as against three companies in the past. The police forces have been deployed in all sensitive and hypersensitive areas of the constituency.
Officials said 11 check posts across the constituency have been set up and drone cameras are being used in the sensitive areas. The authorities said that the police have identified 56 villages where there were instances of violence during the previous elections like murder cases, 307 cases etc. All CCTV cameras have been connected to the police headquarters in Karimnagar.
The EC had deployed 20 companies of the central forces. Officials said 421 EVM control units, 891 ballot units and 515 VVPATS were in place. As many as 1,715 polling personnel would be performing duties during the election. The Commission would be using two EVMs for the polling because of 30 candidates.
So far over Rs 3.5 crore unaccounted cash, Rs 7 lakh worth liquor, Rs 2 lakh worth saris and Rs 10 lakh worth gold and silver ornaments have been seized in the run up to the polls.