All set for Assembly polls

Key takeaways

Total voters: 3.26 crore

Polling stations: 35,655

Candidates in fray: 2,290

Key constituencies:

Gajwel, Kamareddy, Kodangal, Karimnagar, Korutla, Khammam, Palair, Sircilla, Huzurabad

Hyderabad: The stage is set for polling on Thursday after the high decibel campaign which saw top national leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former AICC president Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and state leaders such as BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy, etc, clash with one another, addressing a series of meetings across the state.

With voters this time maintaining silence, several questions had arisen. Some felt that the BRS was afraid of the Congress surge. Some felt that the Congress would not be able to break the Majlis magic and KCR was sure to hit hat-trick, while a few others feeling that it was a BJP ‘B’ Team war. The BJP is pinning hopes on the BC card it had played. In all, 3.26 crore voters would be exercising their franchise and it is expected that the polling turnout may be around 75 percent. In the 2018 polls, it was 73.7 percent.

Voters would exercise their franchise in 35,655 polling stations set up across the state. In all there are 2,290 candidates in the fray. Gajwel and Kamareddy Assembly segments are witnessing exciting contest. In Gajwel, KCR and his beta noire Eatala Rajendar of the BJP have locked horns and in Kamareddy KCR and TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy are pitted against each other. From the BJP, the key contestants are Bandi Sanjay Kumar and D Arvind.

The BRS is keen on extending its winning run that started in 2014, while the Congress is putting up a spirited fight to win the polls having tasted defeat in 2018 and four year earlier.

Meanwhile, the three political parties are leaving no stone unturned as part of micromanagement of polls. It is learnt that distribution of money is on despite strict vigil by the ECI. A large number of voters have left for their hometowns to exercise their franchise. It is said that each party was trying to lure the voters with Rs 2,000 per vote.

Some had even made all arrangements to mobilize their supporters in big numbers to the polling booths on the Thursday.

State Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj said that special forces have been deployed in the Naxal infested districts where the extremists had given a bandh call. Old Khammam, Nizamabad and Adilabad districts were under close watch by the police. Section 144 has been imposed across the state. All problematic polling stations will be monitored through webcasting.

About 21,686 wheelchairs were arranged in the polling stations for the convenience of differently abled voters.

76,532 voter slips in Braille for visually challenged and 40,000 voter guides for visually challenged will also be made available in polling booths to cast their votes without any hurdles in the stations.