CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s wish comes true, Telangana polls in first phase

The State government will be able to conduct elections to Panchayat Raj bodies and Municipalities before the final phase of Lok Sabha polls, i.e., on May 19.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

HYDERABAD: As requested by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the Election Commission of India has decided to conduct Lok Sabha polls in Telangana in the very first phase. Telangana voters will go to polls along with its sibling State of Andhra Pradesh.

Whatever may have led to the decision, it will be a great advantage for the Telangana government on two counts. One, the Lok Sabha polls will be completed in the first phase, i.e., on April 11. The State government will be able to conduct elections to Panchayat Raj bodies and Municipalities before the final phase of Lok Sabha polls, i.e., on May 19.

The State government has to conduct elections to Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and Mandal Parishat Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs). It also has to conduct elections to civic bodies and cooperative bodies. Rao had earlier said, “I have requested the ECI to conduct the Lok Sabha polls here as early as possible so that polls to ZPTCs, MPTCs and other bodies can be completed in the State before the final phase of LS polls elsewhere in the country. Once, the elections to local bodies are completed, there will be no model code of conduct related problems till the next four years. There will be no hindrance in executing development works for four years.” It seems Rao’s suggestion was taken into consideration by the ECI.

The second advantage in conducting polls in AP and TS in a single phase will be that the voters who have registered their names both in AP and TS will have to choose only one State now. If elections in AP and TS were to be held separately, some voters, after casting their vote in TS, could travel to AP to exercise their franchise there in Assembly elections.

No grand alliance
Unlike in the Assembly elections, there will be no Maha Gatbandhan (Grand Alliance) of Opposition parties in Lok Sabha polls. The Opposition parties, especially Congress and TDP, may fight separately in the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana.

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