Hyderabad, Feb 25 (IANS): Over 10.36 lakh graduates are eligible to cast their votes in two constituencies of the Telangana Legislative Council going to polls next month.
The number of voters in the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar constituency is 5,31,268 while the same in the Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam stands at 5,05,565.
The Election Commission on January 18 had announced the number of voters in both the constituencies. The number then was 10,09,279. However, like in the general elections, the poll panel allowed voter enrollment till 10 days before the last date of filing of nominations. As a result, 27,951 more voters enrolled themselves while 397 voters were removed from the rolls.
The total number of voters in both the constituencies increased to 10,36,833. The number of voters has doubled compared to the previous election as supporters of all the political parties and prospective candidates actively participated in the voter enrollment drive.
The poll authorities will set up 1,530 polling centres in the two constituencies. The actual number of polling booths was 1,162 but this number increased after it was decided to have an additional booth in areas where there are over 1,000 voters.
After the scrutiny of nomination papers by the Election Commission on Wednesday, nominations of 74 candidates in the Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam constituency were found in order. They include 58 Independent candidates.
In the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar constituency, the nominations of 96 candidates were found valid. As many as 82 of the candidates are Independents.
Nominations of 15 candidates, all Independents, were rejected in the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar constituency. Papers of two candidates of the Telugu Desam Party and the Dalita Bahujana Party were also not found valid in the Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam constituency.
Friday is the last day for withdrawal of nominations. The polling will be held on March 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while counting of votes will be taken up on March 17.
The tenure of sitting MLCs N. Ramchander Rao (BJP) in Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar constituency and P. Rajeshwar Reddy (TRS) in Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam are coming to an end on March 29.
Both the sitting MLCs have been fielded again by their respective parties. The constituencies will be witnessing multicornered contsts.
Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has fielded former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's daughter, S. Vani, from the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar seat.