Hyderabad, April 15: After a fortnight-long high voltage campaign, electoral gymnastics, pleadings, promises, allegations and mutual recrimination by political parties, the stage is now set for voters to deliver their verdict.
More than three-crore voters spread across 10 Tela-ngana and three north coastal Andhra districts will decide the fate of hundreds of candidates in 22 Lok Sabha and 154 Assembly constituencies that go to polls in the first phase on Thursday.
The second and final phase of elections will be held on April 23 covering the remaining 20 Lok Sabha and 140 Assembly constituencies.
This is the first time that the state is witnessing a multi-cornered fight in all Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies thanks to the entry of the Praja Rajyam led by film star Chiranjeevi.
The state has also witnessed a realignment of political forces with the Left abandoning the ruling Congress to side with the main Opposition Telugu Desam. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) too is supporting the TD and together, they have formed a grand alliance with the Left against the Congress. This is also the first general election after constituencies were redrawn in the recent delimitation exercise.
Notable Lok Sabha candidates whose fate will be decided on Thursday incl-ude the Union ministers, Ms Renuka Chowdhury, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, Ms D. Purandareswari (all Congr-ess), the former union minister, Mr B. Dattatreya (BJP), Vijayashanti and Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao (TRS), MIM president, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi and CPI senior leader, Mr S. Sudhakar Reddy.
Among those in the fray for the Assembly are the APCC president, Mr D. Srinivas, the Speaker, Mr K.R. Suresh Reddy, the former home minister, Mr T. Devendar Goud (Praja Rajyam) and several other ministers.
Though exuding confidence outwardly, all political parties are confused over what verdict voters will deliver this time. The three main contenders, the Congress, the TD and the Praja Rajyam, claim that voters are on their side and they will form the next government in the State.
The Congress is banking heavily on its development mantra, while the TD hopes to win on the strength of its cash transfer scheme. The new entrant Praja Rajyam sees a ‘change’ in the thinking of the voter and is confident of emerging victorious.
Voters, as usual, are playing their electoral cards close to their chest.Tight security will be clamped during the polls with the Election Commission mobilising unprecedented number of security forces.
With Intelligence agencies warning of a possible terror attack during polling, the EC has deployed 60,947 police and paramilitary personnel on security duty.
As many as 3.12 crore voters will exercise their franchise in 36,320 polling stations and women voters outnumber men in the first phase polling.
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