HYDERABAD: Forty-seven candidates remained in the fray for the November 3 Munugode Assembly bypoll after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Monday, while 36 candidates withdrew their nominations.
While 130 candidates had filed their papers, the Election Commission rejected 47 during scrutiny on October 15. Eighty-three nominations were declared valid. Of them, 36 candidates, mostly independents, withdrew their nominations on Monday. Each electronic voting machine (EVM) can accommodate 16 different candidate options. Three EVMs will be used by the Election Commission to accommodate the 47 candidates.
Meanwhile, the three major parties in the fray, the TRS, BJP and the Congress, made all efforts to persuade independent candidates to withdraw from the contest to avoid split of votes in the high-stakes battle.
Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao claimed that he had persuaded 13 Independents to step back, 10 on Sunday and three on Monday. Dayakar Rao said they had entered the fray to highlight their problems and that he had spoken with TRS working president and minister K.T.Rama Rao who had given him the assurance that the government would positively consider their demands after the bypoll. Following assurances from K.T.Rama Rao, the independent candidates had agreed to withdraw their nominations.
While the EC is yet to officially declare the symbols allotted to candidates of unrecognised parties and independent candidates, the TRS leaders voiced concern that the EC has allotted few symbols which were identical to the TRS car symbol and may cause confusion among voters leading, denting the TRS votes.
On October 10, the TRS submitted a representation to the EC seeking deletion of eight symbols from the list of ‘free symbols’ for the Munugode bypoll, because they are identical to the TRS ‘car’ symbol. The party requested the EC to delete symbols of camera, chapati roller, doli, road roller, soap dish, television, sewing machine and ship. The TRS also filed a petition in the Telangana High Court on Monday seeking deletion of these eight symbols.
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