SIDDIPET: The D-day has arrived. The voters in Dubbaka Assembly constituency will decide on Tuesday the fate of the contestants in the byelection, which is necessitated by the death of incumbent S Ramalinga Reddy.
The TRS has nominated Ramalinga Reddy's wife Sujatha, while BJP has fielded M Raghunandan Rao. The Congress' nominee is Ch Srinivasa Reddy, who defected to the grand old party after the TRS denied him the ticket.
Battlelines have been drawn and the political parties deployed their men and the wherewithal to win the election by hook or crook. In the no holds barred byelection, the contestants are stopping at nothing to gain an upper hand over the others in influencing the voters.
With election campaign having come to a close on Sunday, the curtain rose on micro-management of polls. The contestants and their supporters are resorting to all kinds of tactics to please the voters by pulling the wool over the Election Commission authorities who have been deployed to curb any malpractice.
The candidates and the workers hired by them are allegedly supplying liquor to the people in villages to keep them in good humour. If anyone refuses to take alcohol, he is being paid cash up to Rs 1,000.
Interestingly, the government employees who are not on election duty, and who should ask the candidates not to corrupt the voters, are seen demanding gratification up to Rs 2,000 per vote. According to one leader of a political party, expensive liquor and even scotch whisky is being distributed among the voters.
Sensitive polling stations to be monitored
"Even Johnny Walker and expensive Indian brands like Royal Stag and Blenders Pride are being distributed to voters. Political parties want to win the seat as it would set the trend for the upcoming GHMC and MLC elections. The leaders of all parties are asking their workers to be alert and ensure that voters of their party are not hijacked by others. They are being asked to help the voters reach polling stations and take care of all their needs till they cast their votes," said a leader of a political party.
District Election Officer and Collector Bharathi Holikeri and Commissioner of Police Joel Davis have finalised arrangements for the byelection. Bharathi Holikeri told reporters that as per the COVID-19 rules, every polling station should have less than 1,000 voters. "Thermal screening would be done. Voters have to wear hand gloves, while sanitisers would be provided to them," she added.
The Collector said that webcasting will be done at troublesome polling stations and video recording facility will be available at each polling station. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Joel Davis said that the security has been beefed up with central forces at sensitive polling stations.
