Telangana Polls: TRS, People’s Front Hopeful

Hyderabad:As some exit polls predicted a close battle between the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Telangana and the Congress-led 'People's Front', the rivals Saturday expressed confidence about getting a comfortable majority in the Assembly polls

The results of exit polls announced by several news channels after polling concluded Friday evening predicted a win for TRS, while some others said the contest would be close.

Counting of votes would be taken up on December 11.

TRS leader and minister in the caretaker government K T Rama Rao Saturday said the TRS would come to power with more than two-thirds majority.

"Many (survey agencies) said directly TRS will come to power. But, we are definitely confident that beyond what they estimated in exit polls, TRS is going to come to power with more than two-thirds majority and 100 seats (among 119 seats)," Rama Rao, son of TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, told reporters here.

The high turnout of voters indicated a silent revolution and unilateral verdict (in favour of TRS), he claimed. It was a pro-government vote, he said.

Rama Rao said many voters of TRS complained Friday about their names not being found in the voters' lists.

The TRS would appeal to the Election Commission to rectify the errors, if any, before the Lok Sabha elections, he said.

The leaders of 'People's Front' -- Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, TDP's Telangana unit president L Ramana, CPI leader Chada Venkat Reddy and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) -- also exuded confidence that the alliance would come to power.

"I don't know what the exit polls say. We are saying we will get 75-80 seats and we will form government," Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters Saturday.

He urged the leaders and workers of Congress, TDP, CPI and TJS to be alert about the EVMs.

"All political party representatives must be allowed in the strong room complex because we are having doubts about possible replacement or tampering of EVMs," Reddy said.

Even officials should not enter strong rooms where EVMs have been kept, he said. The EVMs should be escorted properly from strong rooms to the counting centres, Reddy said.

About large number of names missing from the voters' lists, he wanted to know why the state election authority had told the Central Election Commission that it was ready for the polls.

The Congress had pointed out (before announcement of poll schedule) as to why elections should be conducted early when the schedule for rectification of voters' lists was originally supposed to be completed by January 4, 2019, the Congress leader said.

Many people complained Friday about allegedly not being able to vote as their names were missing from the voters' lists.

Shuttler Jwala Gutta Friday alleged that her name was missing from the list.

Reacting to her complaint, Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar Friday said he ordered a report form the concerned district electoral officer on the issue.

"I sincerely apologise to people who could not vote as their names were missing. We will certainly rectify mistakes in the voters list," he said Friday.

Vote was taken for all the 119 seats of Telangana assembly for the first time after the division of Andhra Pradesh and creation of India's youngest state in 2014.

Also Read: KCR’s Gamble To Dissolve Assembly Early Worked: Exit Polls

PTI