HYDERABAD: The final polling percentage in Thursday’s high-voltage Munugode by-election has been put at 93.13 per cent. The intense campaign by the TRS, BJP and Congress, seem to have paid off going by the voter turnout.
According to data released by the chief electoral officer on Friday, of the 298 polling stations in the constituency a majority witnessed more than 90 per cent polling, which began at 6 am and continued till late night as few voters entered into the polling station premises before end of scheduled time. The highest polling of 98.34 per cent was registered in Chitannabavi followed by Jakkalavariguem 98.21 per cent while the lowest of 82.67 per cent was registered in Damerabheemanapalli polling station.
Of 1,21,672 male voters, 1,13,835 cast their vote while of 1,20,126 women voters, 1,11,338 turned up. Of the seven transgender voters, only one voted.
All mandals, including the newly created Gattuppal saw 92.61 voter turnout followed by Chandur 93.51, Choutuppal 93.68, Marriguda 91.41, Munugode 93.50, Nampally 92.37 and Narayanapur 93.76 per cent.
In urban areas, the turnout was comparatively low. In Chandur municipality it was 68.22 per cent and 73.80 per cent in Choutuppal municipality. Of 5,386 women voters in Chandur, 3,870 exercised their franchise and of 11,879 women voters in Choutuppal, 9,038 turned up.
Reacting to the turnout, BJP OBC Cell president Dr K. Laxman said that the highest-ever turnout at Munugode was an indication of anti-incumbency. “People are vexed with the misrule of TRS government and abuse of power,” he said and stated that the constituency would see a repeat of Munugode.
TPCC official spokesperson Ayodhya Reddy said that people of Munugode had been facing difficulties due to lack of basic amenities. The bad road signified the backwardness of the constituency, he said. To register their anger against both the TRS and the BJP, voters in large numbers had franchised their franchise, he said. “We are hopeful that Congress will be strengthened in Munugode Assembly constituency with the bypoll result,” Ayodhya Reddy said.
A senior Congress leader from undivided Nalgonda district refused to comment on the voting percentage, saying it was a sensitive issue on which comment should not be made in public
BJP GHMC corporator Srinivas Reddy, who campaigned for 20 days in Chandur municipality, said the TRS had tried to lure voters with cash and liquor but the people had voted against the “dictatorship and family rule” of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao when realised that Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy had resigned before for the development of the constituency.
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