The counting for the
recently-concluded MLC elections in two of Telangana's graduates' constituencies - Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam and Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy - began on March 18. But since none of the candidates contesting for either seat were able to secure the requisite number of first-preference votes, the
second preference counting was started yesterday, and went on till today.
After three long days of counting, the TRS candidate for the Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy seat, daughter of former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, Surabhi Vani Devi, has emerged as the winner of a hard-fought battle.
Maintaining a comfortable lead over her closest rival, the BJP's N Ramachander Rao, she clinched the seat by securing 1,49,269 votes, winning by a margin of 36,580 votes. Independent candidate K Nageshwar came in as the distant third.
With this victory, the ruling party has been able to wrest a crucial seat from the BJP. The win has also proved Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's political foresight and acumen - he had decided to field Vani Devi from the seat hoping, many claim, to benefit electorally from her later father's legacy.
An overjoyed TRS was seen celebrating the victory at the Telangana Bhavan by bursting firecrackers and eating sweets. Leaders like MLA Danam Nagender and former GHMC Mayor Bonthu Rammohan were also seen participating in the celebrations.
However, the party may soon have to answer some difficult questions about the results since social media users have been raising questions about the 43,000 votes that were reportedly declared invalid.
Reports say that many voters simply wrote 'Jai Sri Ram' or 'Fill vacancies in government' on their ballot papers.
The declaration of the outcome of the MLC election in Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam is expected to come later tonight. In this seat too, it a TRS candidate, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy (fighting to retain his sea), that has the lead so far.