Polling is underway on Monday i.e. today in the crucial by-election to Huzurnagar Assembly constituency in Suryapet district of Telangana where the ruling TRS, Congress, TDP, and BJP are locked in a multi-cornered contest.
Huzurnagar Byelections 2019 Live Updates
According to the official sources, 13.44 percent votes were polled till 9 am. Also, there were no incidents reported so far.
As per the sources, over 2.36 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their right to vote, and the administration has made elaborate security and other arrangements to ensure a free and fair poll.
The polling, which began at 7 a.m, would be held till 5 pm in 302 polling stations across the constituency comprising seven mandals. Votes would be counted on October 24.
Meanwhile, District Election Officer D. Amoy Kumar said 1, 497 polling personnel were trained, and after distribution of electronic voting machines and polling material on Sunday evening, they reached their polling locations.
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A total of 372 control units, 965 ballot units and 388 voter-verifiable paper audit trail, including adequate reserve devices, were distributed.
Nearly 98.5% of the electorate were issued photo voter slips, and all the 100% issued Electoral Photo Identity Cards, he added.
The poll material was distributed on Sunday evening at the Huzurna-gar market yard. The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who chose to give up the seat and retain his Bhongir Lok Sabha seat.
Uttam Kumar Reddy’s wife N Padmavati, a former MLA, is the Congress candidate, while TRS has fielded S Saidi Reddy, who lost to the PCC president in Assembly polls, again. Kota Rama Rao, a medical doctor, and Chava Kiranmayi are the candidates of BJP and TDP respectively.
Byelections 2019 Live Updates: 1 Union Territory
The Huzurnagar bypoll is crucial for ruling TRS to reaffirm its dominance in state politics as the party had suffered an unexpected setback in the Lok Sabha polls. Amid expectations that it would sweep the polls, it bagged 12 of the total 19 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Winning the Huzurnagar bypoll is crucial for Congress as it seeks to take on the ruling TRS in the coming years.
Buoyed by the gains in Lok Sabha polls, BJP has announced grand plans to emerge as the alternative to TRS in the state and it would like to win the Huzurnagar bypoll to strengthen itself.
Earlier on Sunday, District Collector D Amoy Kumar said that foolproof arrangements were made for Monday’s polling and called on polling personnel not to give in to any pressure and ensure free and fair polling. He further said that the polling staff have been advised to contact the technical personnel who have been posted at various locations in the constituency if any problems are encountered in operating the EVMs.
