Edge for TRS?

Hyderabad: If one goes by the exit polls, the ruling TRS appears to be having an edge over its nearest rival BJP in the Munugodu byelection. The overall polling is likely to touch 90 percent. In the 2018 Assembly elections, the voting percentage was 91.07 percent. However, the final voting figures will be known only on Friday morning.

Barring a few stray incidents, the polling went off peacefully on Thursday. Though the polling started on a slow note in the morning, it picked up the pace by evening, and long queues were seen outside the polling booths.

A few instances of technical snags in the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) were reported at some booths leading to delays in the polling process at places like Allamchervu in Samsthan Narayanpur Mandal.

Voters in a tribal Tanda of Rangam in Gattuppal Mandal boycotted the elections citing the failure of successive governments in laying roads connecting their habitation with other villages. Voters who came from Hyderabad to cast their votes also lodged protests for not being given allowances as promised in Antampet village in the constituency.

They alleged that the political parties invited them to exercise their franchise, but the local leaders cheated them by not providing money as they promised.

Some of the angered voters left the village without exercising their franchise. A minor clash was reported between the TRS and BJP workers in Chandur municipality when the saffron party leaders alleged that non-locals were influencing the voters by distributing money at polling booths. The timely intervention of the police avoided clashes between the two groups.

Women voters at the Lenin colony in Bangarigadda refused to cast their votes as the promise of distribution of gold gifts was not fulfilled.

The police resorted to mild lathi charges when the BJP and TRS workers in Marriguda staged a dharna against the distribution of money. Both alleged that the other party was distributing huge amounts of money. TRS candidate K Prabhakar Reddy cast his vote in his native village of Lingavarigudem in Narayanpur Mandal. BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and Congress candidate P Sravanthi cast their vote in their native villages. The TRS and BJP candidates received public ire when they visited the polling booths. Voters questioned the leaders for not developing their villages.