178 farmers up the ante on TRS, security arrangments in place

: The 178 farmers, who filed nomination papers here for the parliamentary elections scheduled Thursday, would continue their stir against the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for failing to fix minimum support price for their produce.

Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress State president Anwesh Reddy, one of the leaders coordinating the protest, told this to PTI Wednesday.

Nizamabad hit headlines after the farmers demanded the MSP for turmeric and red jowar (sorghum) and also set up a turmeric board here.

With a large number of farmers contesting the polls, the the vote-bank of ruling party candidate was bound to be dented, Reddy said.

"The fight will continue until the demands are met. Many farmers will file nominations and contest in MPTC (Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency) and ZPTC (Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency) elections also," Reddy said.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter and sitting MP Kavitha is seeking re-election from the Nizamabad constituency.

TRS Rajya Sabha member D Srinivass son D Arvind is contesting on a BJP ticket. AICC secretary Madhu Yashki Goud is also in the fray.

Chief electoral officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar, keeping in view the large number of contestants, said that normally for every 10 polling stations the election commission has only one magistrate in place, but here this would be doubled with one magistrate for every five polling stations.

He said 12 ballot units (BUs) would be coupled in a series and attached to a control unit in them shape of an inverted 'L'