81% Polling In Narayankhed By-Poll, Result On 16th

The by-election for the Narayankhed Assembly constituency on Saturday witnessed a huge turnout of voters, with 81% of them exercising their franchise.

Medak district Collector Ronald Ross told mediapersons this evening that thanks to the election officials making all necessary arrangements, polling went off peacefully amidst tight security and all necessary facilities at all the 286 polling stations. The officials monitored the voting process through webcasting, he added.

The counting of votes would be taken up on February 16 from 8 am, and the result would be announced on the same day, Ross said.

All voters who came to the polling stations before the closing time of 5 pm were allowed to vote even though the process stretched beyond 5 pm. Elderly persons, too, took pains to walk up to the polling stations to cast their votes, Ross informed.

The voting percentage was higher this time compared to that of the previous elections, which was 79.64, officials said.

M Bhupal Reddy of the TRS, P Sanjeeva Reddy of the Congress and M Vijayapal Reddy of Telugu Desam Party are in the fray, besides some Independents. The bypoll was necessitated by the demise of the sitting Congress MLA P Kishta Reddy. The Congress tried in vain to convince the ruling Party to let P Sanjiva Reddy, son of Kistha Reddy, win the bypoll unanimously - the TRS decided to compete.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, too, pitched in to support the persistent campaigning by Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao, wooing the voters of facilities for Narayankhed on par with those of Siddipet if the TRS nominee was voted to power.