HYDERABAD: Political parties are leaving no stone unturned to win the hearts of the people ahead of polling for the Graduate MLC elections in the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam constituencies.A voter in the Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam constituency said their local leader prepared a list of 53 voters in his locality. “He took us to an MLA who camped in the village. The MLA gave the local leader Rs 20,000 for distribution among 13 voters,” he said. Shekar Kummari, a voter, said his village Sarpanch assured to foot his travel expenses. “The Sarpanch has asked me to show up for voting and said he would try to give me some money if I did,” Shekar said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Dr Dasoju Sravan has alleged that the TRS chief, who had purchased MLAs, MPs and MLCs, is now buying graduate voters by spending thousands and throwing parties.
In Warangal, some candidates are banking on their past associations with graduates to get their support, while others are paying them Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 each for marking them as their first preference on the ballot paper.
The candidates have also appointed in-charges at the mandal level to ensure that the money reaches the voters in erstwhile Warangal district. They ensured that the money reached the voters on Saturday night itself. Parties’ sources said the in-charges at the village level have been reaching out to the voters based on the vices popular among the communities and are offering a particular amount based on how many are in favour of a said party.
Leaders have identified voters settled in Hyderabad and other areas, and are arranging vehicles for them to travel to their native places to vote. They have also appointed in-charges and directed them to make sure that the voting percentage is high in this election. At the village and mandal level, booze parties are being thrown to influence voters. The modus operandi in reaching the voter and keeping them in good humour is similar in all the six districts.