Election campaigning for 18 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats in the by-elections scheduled for June 12 has come to a close at 5 pm this evening.
Top leaders of all major political parties, who have undertaken whirlwind tours to the constituencies have addressed key constituencies on the final day. Party cadres and other leaders started door-to-door campaigning. As all the major parties had considered these by-elections as semi-finals for the 2014 elections, Central leaders of major national parties have also campaigned for their parties.
Apart from Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana and ministers, AICC general secretary and State Congress affairs in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad and Union Minister Vayilar Ravi had campaigned for the Congress party. The Chief Minister, who returned to Hyderabad from a hectic campaigning, held discussions with Vayalar Ravi, who has come from Delhi to review the situation before the polls. Ravi also held discussions with the PCC chief and Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy.
For the BJP, its senior leader Sushma Swaraj, party’s official spokesperson Shah Nawaz Hussain and actor Kota Srinivasa Rao have campaigned. TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu toured all the constituencies tirelessly and campaigned for his party. As YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was arrested when the campaigning was at its peak in the disproportionate assets case, his mother and party’s honorary president Vijayamma and his sister Sharmila have continued the campaigning.
Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal has directed all non-local political leaders to clear from the constituencies they were campaigning in, by 5 pm today. He also directed the police to check all hotels, guest houses and marriage halls and clear non-locals. He said that polling would be held from 8 am to 5 pm on June 12 and opportunity would be provided to every one, who reach polling booths till 5 pm to vote. He said that shadow party supervision would be on from the beginning to end of polling.
On the polling day, only one vehicle would be allowed for the candidate and polling agent. He advised voters not to come out of their houses on polling day except for voting. Congress, TDP and YSR Congress parties are contesting in all the 18 Assembly and Nellore Lok Sabha seats. While BJP is contesting 11 seats, the TRS is in fray in Parakala, the lone seat going to polls in Telangana. Lok Satta and CPI(M) parties are contesting five seats each. There are also 139 Independents in the fray.
As there are chances of the contesting candidates trying to woo the voters with money, articles and liquor, the Election Commission has set up five mobile phones — 8897000401, 8897000402, 8897000403, 8897000404 and 8897000405 for receipt of the information from the voters. The EC appealed to the voters to complain against such illegal practices either on these cell phone numbers or SMS their complaints so that immediate action will be taken. It also stated that the names of the complainants would be kept secret and the informants would be rewarded with cash up to Rs 5 lakhs. (NSS)