Huzurabad Bypolls Begin

Hyderabad: All set for by-elections to Huzurabad Assembly constituencies in Telangana on Saturday.

The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements in both the constituencies to ensure peaceful polling. Balloting through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) begun at 7 a.m. and will end at 7 p.m.

A little over 2.37 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in Huzurabad constituency in Karimnagar district of Telangana.

Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel said all arrangements were in place to ensure peaceful polling. Twenty companies of central paramilitary forces in addition to the personnel from state police have been deployed as part of the elaborate security arrangements.

Polling will be held at 306 polling centres spread over 106 gram panchayats.

The CEO said strict action would be taken on complaints about distribution of money, liquor or any other item to influence voters. He said Rs 3.50 crore was so far seized in the constituency.

A total of 30 candidates are in fray in the bye-election, caused by the resignation of E. Rajender after he was dropped from the state cabinet. He also quit the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to join to join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fielded him.

Huzurabad is witnessing a three-cornered contest among the TRS, the BJP and the Congress. The TRS has fielded Gellu Srinivas Yadav while Congress has nominated B. Venkat Narsing Rao, chief of the state NSUI unit, as its candidate.