Voters in a few constituencies have a reason to get thrown off track when they enter the polling booths for the November 30 Telangana Assembly elections. For, names appearing similar on the nomination papers in such constituencies are either by chance or design.
The L.B. Nagar constituency is one example of this phenomenon, where the incumbent MLA Devireddy Sudhir Reddy’s name appears quite often in the nominations. While Mr.Sudhir Reddy, the MLA, filed four sets of nominations, there is another candidate with the same name, mentioned as Devireddy Sudheer Reddy who filed nominations as an independent candidate. Interestingly, Mr.Sudheer Reddy’s address is mentioned as Thukkuguda which comes under Maheshwaram constituency.
Apart from there two, there is another candidate by the name of Sudheer Reddy Dhepa who filed nomination as an independent candidate.
BJP candidate Sama Ranga Reddy would also have been in for some competition, had another independent candidate with the same name not withdrawn his nomination. One more independent aspirant by the name of Sama Devender Reddy also withdrew his nomination.
Congress candidate Madhu Goud Yashki, whose name is mentioned as Madhusudan in the nomination papers, will have to share the space with one more independent candidate, Marri Madhusudan Reddy.
From Maheshwaram constituency, Sabitha Maddi from Jillelaguda filed her nomination papers to contest against the incumbent MLA and BRS party candidate Patolla Sabitha Indra Reddy. Another candidate from Yuga Thulasi party, Goli Sabitha’s nomination was rejected.
Sanathnagar MLA and BRS candidate Talasani Srinivas Yadav faces a similar challenge, as two more candidates by the names of Uppalapati Srinivas (Yuga Thulasi party) and A. Srinivas (independent) filed nominations from the constituency.
Several such nominations could have been deliberately intended to confuse voters, says an official under the condition of anonymity. “However, such ploys are unlikely to succeed, because it is not possible to confuse voters who can read the names. Secondly, candidates from the mainstream parties appear first on the list on the electronic voting machines while the others are pushed down. So there is no scope for confusion,” adds the official.
