The much-awaited by-poll to the Huzurabad Assembly constituency in Telangana will be held on October 30.
The Badvel Assembly constituency in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh will also go to the polls the same day.
The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced a schedule for bye-elections to these two seats along with three Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly constituencies in various states.
The Huzurabad Assembly seat fell vacant with the resignation of former minister Eatala Rajender after he was dropped from the State Cabinet by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in May following allegations of land encroachment.
Rajender also quit ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and will be entering the fray as the saffron party’s candidate.
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The TRS has also nominated its student wing chief, G. Srinivas Yadav, as the party candidate for the bye-elections.
The bye-elections raised the political temperature in the state as Rajender targetted the chief minister by alleging that he was insulted in the party. The BJP is citing Rajender’s alleged humiliation to mount a fresh attack on the TRS for what it calls the family rule of Chandrasekhar Rao.
After ending his nearly two-decade-long association with TRS, Rajender launched an aggressive campaign in Huzurabad targeting the state government. BJP’s state chief Bandi Sanjay is also currently undertaking a ‘padayatra which will also cover the Huzurabad constituency.
The TRS government also picked the constituency for implementing its prestigious ‘Dalit Bandhu’ scheme on a pilot basis. It has already sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore to implement the scheme under which every Dalit family will be given a grant of Rs 10 lakh to start a business of its choice.
The government’s move came under criticism from the opposition parties and some NGOs who alleged that the TRS is trying to lure the voters. A couple of NGOs also moved the Telangana High Court but it refused to interfere in the issue.
The bye-election to Badvel constituency in Andhra Pradesh is necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Dr. G. Venkatasubbaiah of the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
Venkatasubaiah died at the age of 61 in March after a prolonged illness.
As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday, the poll notification will be issued on October 1. The last date for filing nominations is October 8.
Scrutiny of nominations will be taken up on October 11. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 13. Polling will be held on October 30 while counting will be taken up on November 2. The entire poll process has to be completed by November 5.
SOURCE: IANS
