In a major embarrassment to the Congress government, the police registered a case against Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy following a complaint by the Election Commission authorities. The charge against Reddy was that he had violated the poll code by addressing a media conference on Wednesday after the campaigning period had ended.The police would also proceed against TV channel that telecast the media conference live, Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao said.
About 60-65 per cent of the 86 lakh voters spread over nine districts and the state capital turned up for voting to decide the fate of 145 candidates in 18 assembly seats and 29 nominees in four Lok Sabha constituencies. Karimnagar, where the Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao was seeking re-election, recorded a modest 50 per cent voting, while Adilabad registered 60, Hanamkonda and Warangal had 60-65 per cent polling.The Khairatabad assembly segment in Hyderabad witnessed the lowest turn out at 38 per cent despite the government declaring a holiday. Alair in Nalgonda district recorded 70 per cent polling.
The by-polls in 16 assembly and four Lok Sabha seats were caused by the mass resignations of TRS members in protest against the United Progressive Alliance government's failure to grant statehood for the Telangana region. Vacancies arose in Khairatabad and Terlam assembly constituencies following the death of serving members.
The outcome of the by-poll is expected to serve as a barometer to gauge the Telangana sentiment in the region. It would also give an indication of the impact of development plank of the ruling Congress and whether there is any anti-incumbency against the government as being claimed by the Opposition.The by-polls witnessed lukewarm response in urban centres with scorching heat conditions forcing people to stay indoors, while rural voters showed considerable enthusiasm.
Barring stray incidents of clashes among the workers of various political parties, polling had been largely peaceful, police said.
TRS activists held a demonstration at Madikonda village under Hanamkonda Lok Sabha constituency in Warangal district alleging the Congress workers violated the model code by distributing polling chits which carried the photograph of the ruling party's candidate.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA G Kishan Reddy was briefly held by police for allegedly seeking votes for his party nominee, K Laxman, near a polling station in Musheerabad assembly segment. Mild tension prevailed in the area when activists of the TRS and Communist Party of Iindia-Marxist protested Kishan Reddy's alleged action.
Malfunctioning electronic voting machines were reported at many places, official sources said. The problems were quickly rectified or the machines replaced and balloting resumed soon, they said.Names missing from the electoral rolls, despite the voters having photo identity cards, were reported in several areas.
TRS chief and former Union Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is seeking re-election from Karimnagar Lok Sabha, exercised his franchise at Chintamadka village in his home district of Medak.
Other prominent candidates in the fray are sitting Congress legislators--T Jeevan Reddy, A Indrakaran Reddy and K Surekha.
Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi, who is said to be toying with idea of joining politics, exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. Mobbed by the media outside the polling station, the matinee idol evaded questions over his political entry. Chiranjeevi was accompanied by his actor-son Ram Charan Teja.
More than 9,000 polling stations have been set up and over 63,000 security personnel were deployed to ensure free and fair polling.
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