Nearly 64.17% of the total 3,55,054 voters cast their ballots in the keenly-contested electoral battle in Karimnagar Assembly constituency in Thursday’s election, the third Assembly polls in Telangana State.
Manakondur Assembly segment registered a turnout of 75.12%, followed by 70.25% in Choppadandi and 70.23% in Huzurabad segments in Karimnagar district, as per the provisional data released by the election officials.
The voting percentage is likely to increase further as polling continued in some of the polling booths to enable voters who remained in long queues before the stipulated closing time of 5 p.m.
The polling began on a dull note in the early hours but gained pace later in the day. A sudden rush of voters was reported in several polling booths in the last hour.
The fate of as many as 73 candidates in the fray from the four Assembly segments in Karimnagar district was sealed in the EVMs.
The main contestants in the fray from the four Assembly seats include BJP national general secretary and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay, Civil Supplies Minister G. Kamalakar of the BRS, former minister and sitting MLA from Huzurabad Eatala Rajender, Telangana Samskrutika Sarathi chairman and sitting MLA from Manakondur Rasamayi Balakishan.
Other constituencies
The Sircilla Assembly constituency in Rajanna Sircilla district from where the ruling BRS working president and Minister for IT K. T. Rama Rao is in the race recorded 73.42% turnout.
The Jangaon, Narsampet and Palakurthi constituencies registered a high voter turnout of 83.34%, 83% and 81.23% respectively.
Barring minor skirmishes between the cadres of the BRS and the Congress at Kusumanchi in Palair constituency of Khammam district and Elchireddypalli in Pinapaka Assembly constituency of Bhadradri Kothagudem district and in a few other constituencies, the polling passed off smoothly.
The varied polling percentage from moderate to high in various constituencies kept the contestants of the ruling BRS, the main Opposition Congress and the BJP among others kept on tenterhooks with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on December 3, 2023.
