Munugode bye-polls: 90% voter turnout registered

About 90% of the voters cast their votes in the bye-poll to Munugode Assembly constituency in Telangana on Thursday, November 3. The polling ended peacefully except for minor skirmishes outside polling stations. The poll percentage till 7 pm was 90%. Voters queued up in several booths even after polling ended at 6 pm but they were allowed to cast their votes.

The polling was peaceful barring minor skirmishes outside the polling stations at a couple of places, State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj told reporters. A few Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had technical issues and they were addressed, he said. He added that several complaints about the presence of outsiders in the constituency distributing cash or liquor were received, and all of them were enquired into.

Meanwhile, the run-up to the bye–poll witnessed an intense campaign by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Congress. State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar lodged a complaint with the CEO regarding alleged distribution of money by TRS MLAs and leaders. Kumar protested the alleged apathy of officials towards evacuating outsiders from polling zones, the BJP said.

TRS said senior party leader and Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy, meanwhile, complained to the CEO that the BJP men were distributing money and liquor in some villages. The saffron party held dharnas from Wednesday night in violation of election rules and was distributing money today, Jagadish Reddy said while seeking action in the matter.

Congress candidate Palvai Sravanthi complained to the election authorities that false news was being spread about her on social media with a morphed photo, which the CEO will be looked into.

Polling got underway amid tight security at 7 AM. Over 2.41 lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise. The total number of polling stations was 298 and web casting was done from all of them. The bye-poll was necessitated by the resignation of sitting Congress MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy from the party and from his post in August. He joined the BJP and is seeking re-election.

While 47 candidates were in the fray, the main contest was between Raj Gopal Reddy (BJP), former MLA Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy of TRS and Palvai Sravanthi (Congress). The bypoll assumes political significance as the winner would have an edge over the others ahead of the Assembly polls in Telangana next year. Counting of votes would be taken up on November 6.