Rising mercury levels, low voter turnout worrying BJP?

Hyderabad: Are the rising mercury levels and booth-level management worrying the State BJP on its LS poll outcome in the State capital? Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy is contesting from Secunderabad. A new face, K Madhavi Latha, is its candidate from the Hyderabad constituency. The two LS seats mainly fall under the State capital. However, for all practical reasons, Malkajgiri, followed by Medak and Chevella. are part of the urban continuum identified with the lowest voter turnout seats.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior party leader pointed out that it knows well about the voting pattern in about 2,284 polling stations in Hyderabad and another 1,166 polling stations in Ranga Reddy districts, besides, the polling pattern is in about 633 urban areas in Malkajgiri. "The highest number of polling stations with the lowest voting turnout witnessed in 2018 Assembly elections include Yakutpura, Serilingampally, and LB Nagar." Of the low-turnout urban polling booths, Serilingampally is the toughest. One finds it difficult to bring voters to polling stations in the area which houses IT companies.

However, how effective and fruitful are the efforts in bringing voters to polling booths on May 13 is anyone's guess, given the rising mercury levels. Reddy struck a disappointing note at a meeting pointing out the lowest percentage of voting in Coimbatore, from where his counterpart and TN BJP chief K Annamalai contested; he appealed to people to come out to vote.

In Hyderabad LS constituency, Yakutpura, with 305 stations, had witnessed lowest turnout of 36.69%, Goshamahal polled 54.93% in the entire city, followed by Khairatabad with 51.31%; in Secunderabad the turnout did not cross 50% mark; stood at 49.60%.

The other troublesome lowest voter turnout constituencies that the party is focusing on include Amberpet (50.52%), Bahadurpura (44.86%) Chandrayangutta (45%), Charminar (41.45%), Jubilee Hills ( 45.2%), Karwan (46.5%), Malakpet (41%), Musheerabad (49.61%), Nampally (42.76%) and Sanathnagar (50.74%); LB Nagar polled 49.11%; Rajendranagar witnessed 55.83%.

However, Chevella BJP Lok Sabha candidate K Visweshwar Reddy and Malkajgiri nominee Eatala Rajender expressed confidence that they would get voters to polling booths and have an edge over their rivals to win.