Malakjgiri, one of the most keenly watched and contested seats in Telangana given that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s bitter critic and TPCC working president A. Revanth Reddy is in the fray, saw a poor turnout leaving the contestants in jitters.
The low voter turnout of 42.75% is attributed to low enthusiasm among voters to take part in the elections.
The generally-witnessed vibrant poll scene outside the polling booths was absent as the activists of different parties hardly showed any interest in involving themselves in the polling process. “Enthusiasm is definitely down. Maybe it’s the heat, and there is nothing much at stake for people unlike in the Assembly elections,’ said Sara Srinivas Goud, leader of TRS party in Ghatkesar village.
“The absence of even the ruling party leaders and cadre reflects that there is a silent voting against the TRS,” claimed K. Raghav Reddy, Ghatkesar Mandal Congress president. Similar was the situation in Bhogaram and Keesara villages in the constituency.
Though voters arrived at the polling stations early in the morning, the numbers dwindled as the temperature started to rise. For instance, at polling stations 339-344 in Alwal where voters are a mix of retired government employees and youth, there were not more than 10 voters in the queue in each polling station. “I thought there will be long queues. But, we cast could cast our vote in less than 10 minutes,” said V. Rajagopal, a corporate executive.
At the Government Primary School in Macha Bollarum that had polling stations 358-364 and 369-371, the scene was a shade better with slightly longer queues. “Some complained about their names missing. But it was not as bad as during the Assembly elections,” said a party worker.
Despite a ban on carrying mobile phones into the polling stations, voters were seen openly carrying them. “We tried stopping some. But when they said their serial number and polling station numbers were in them and they could not go back home and come again, we had to let them in. The EC should have announced the ban much in advance,” said a police officer on duty.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Mr. Revanth Reddy visited several polling stations and alleged that students of the institutions run by TRS contestant Marri Rajashekar Reddy were deployed to seek information from the voters in the name of exit poll survey. Congress agents also complained that TRS agents at the polling stations wore T-shirts with the candidate’s name and picture printed on it.
However, Mr. Rajashekar Reddy denied the charges. Mr. Reddy, who visited several booths in Qutbullapur, said people were enthusiastic to vote for the ruling party and he was confident of winning with a huge majority.
(With inputs from Satya Naagesh Ayyagary)