MLC polls: Voting begins for six seats in Telangana

Polling has begun for six seats of local bodies constituencies in state Legislative Council today in Telangana. The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of Member of Legislative Council elections.

The polling will conclude at 4 pm. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 30.

Elections are being held for six MLC seats in Ranga Reddy, Mahaboob Nagar, Nalgonda and Khammam districts of Telangana today. Of the 12 MLC seats for which notification was released on December 2, elections in six seats have become unanimous with the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi candidates getting elected unopposed in Karimnagar, Warangal, Nizamabad, Medak and Adilabad districts.

While Nalgonda and Khammam districts will elect one MLC each, two MLCs each will be elected from Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts. Votes would be counted on December 30 and results will be announced the same day.

The fierce tussle between the TRS and Opposition Congress, TD and Left parties to win the seats has seen candidates spending crores of rupees. Compared to the other districts, the contest for the Nalgonda MLC seat, with four contestants has generated much interest.

Congress candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, a former MP, is pitted against TRS candidate Tera Chinnapa Reddy in the district which is dominated by Congress bigwigs like TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly K. Jana Reddy, MPs Gutta Sukhender Reddy, Palvai Govardhan Reddy and five Congress MLAs, including Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, who said he would quit politics if his brother loses.

In Khammam, once supposed to be the bastion of Left parties, CPI veteran Puvvada Nageswara Rao is taking on TRS candidate and former MLC B. Laxminarayana, in Mahbubnagar, TRS nominees R. Jagdeeswar Reddy and Kasireddy Narayana Reddy are facing Congress nominee K. Damodar Reddy and TD’s Kottakota Dayakar Reddy.

In Ranga Reddy district, TRS nominees Patnam Narender Reddy and Sambhipur Raju are taking on Congress nominee A. Chandrasekhar and TD’s K. Venugopal.

State Chief Electoral Officer K Bhanwarlal said a total of 3,869 voters are set to exercise their franchise in these elections and 19 candidates are in the fray. He said strict vigil is kept at the 19 polling booths set up in four districts in view of allegations that some parties are trying to influence the voters.