PM Modi speaks to Telangana BJP chief, enquires about GHMC polls

HYDERABADAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar over phone and enquired about the municipal elections held in Greater Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Sanjay said Modi spoke to him for 10 minutes and enquired about the voting trend in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls.

The MP from Karimnagar stated that the Prime Minister congratulated BJP leaders and workers for putting up a tough fight. He also enquired about the attacks on the party cadres.

According to the BJP leader, Modi expressed his happiness over the new vigour and enthusiasm among the party cadres. "Prime Minister advised the Telangana BJP workers to move ahead with the same spirit," Sanjay said. A total of 46.60 per cent of over 74 lakh voters cast their votes on Tuesday in 149 divisions. Polling in one division was postponed after discrepancy in ballot paper. Telangana State Election Commission had ordered re-polling in all 69 polling booths of Old Malakpet division on Thursday.

Counting of votes will be taken up on Friday.

The fate of 1,122 candidates was sealed in ballot boxes in the bitterly contested elections, which saw a shrill campaign and attracted national attention due to participation by BJP bigwigs including central ministers Amit Shah, Prakash Javadekar, Smriti Irani, party's national president J. P. Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Upbeat over its victory in the recent by-election to Dubbak Assembly seat, BJP upped the ante to turn GHMC polls into a battle to make big inroads in South India.

Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which had won landslide majority in 2016 polls with 99 seats in 150-member municipal body, appears confident to retain power despite the saffron surge while Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) is looking to hold on to 44 seats it won in the last elections.

Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP leaders called on State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarthy, alleging that MIM resorted to rigging during the polling in few divisions in the old city. BJP legislator Ramachandra Rao alleged that the voter turnout which was low till 5 p.m. suddenly picked up during the last one hour. He said MIM MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and his followers were involved in irregularities.

Stating that 94 per cent polling was recorded in few polling booths in Ghansi Bazar and Puranapul, he demanded repolling. The election commissioner assured that he will seek a report from election observer and take a decision. After the polling, BJP had blamed TRS government and State Election Commission for low turnout.

Union minister of state for home, G. Kishan Reddy alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government used State Election Commission (SEC) to bring down the voter turnout to work to its advantage. (IANS)

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