Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the Banswada Assembly constituency, for the polling.
Polling has been going on smoothly in the Banswada Assembly constituency, where by-elections are being held, on Thursday.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the Assembly constituency, for the polling.
In addition to the State police personnel, 20 Coys of the Central Para-Military Force have been deployed in Banswada.
Besides, 205 Presiding Officers, 205 Asst. Presiding Officers, 432 Other Polling Officers, 205 Micro Observers and 23 Zonal Officers have been deployed.
Altogether 5,600 police personnel, including 2,400 CRPF personnel, have been deployed for the by-elections.
In the initial 2hours, nearly 18% of the voters exercised their franchise in the 186 polling booths in Banswada.
As many as 1,59,732 voters, including 82,368 women, will decide the fate of 6candidates on Thursday. The main contest is between Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, who is now contesting on the TRS ticket, and the Congress candidate S Srinivas Goud.
Due to power failure, polling was delayed by almost half-an-hour at some booths in Varni mandal of Medpally.
Talking to reporters after exercising his franchise at a polling booth, TRS candidate Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said that the results of the Banswada by-elections would "open the eyes" of both the Centre and the state government. He said that voters in Banswada would give a fitting reply to those who still think that people in the region do not favour a separate Telangana.
The seat fell vacant after MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy resigned from the TDP and to his post on 27 April to join the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. Following his resignation, the Election Commission of India, on 6 September, issued a notification to hold the by-elections on 13 October.
The votes will be counted on 17 October. (INN)