AP & Telangana by-polls record 30% voter turnout till noon

Villagers in Gangapur and Peddapur boycotted the elections

Medak parliamentary constituency in Telangana, where by-polls are being held, recorded over 30% voter turnout till noon today.

In the Nandigama assembly segment in Andhra Pradesh too, voter turnout was over 30%.

Telangana minister T Harish Rao, Assembly Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, the contesting candidates K Prabhakar Reddy (TRS), T Jayaprakash Reddy (BJP) and V Sunita Laxma Reddy (Congress) were among the prominent persons who exercised their vote in Medak.

The villagers of Gangapur boycotted the by-poll as no polling booth was set up in their village.

Similarly, in Peddapur under Veldurthi mandal, villagers boycotted the election protesting lack of proper roads to their village and negligence in other development works.

Senior officials visited the village to persuade the villagers to participate in the polling.

In three to four polling booths, voting was delayed by a few minutes as officials had to replace dysfunctional Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

The Returning Officer for the Medak Lok Sabha constituency, Rahul Bojja, said polling was continuing peacefully across the seven Assembly segments.

By-polls are being held in Nandigama in Andhra Pradesh due to the death of MLA-elect Tangirala Prabhakar of the TDP. His daughter is now contesting the election against Congress candidate B Babu Rao.