Farmers move HC seeking postponement of LS poll in Nizambad seat

A section of farmers contesting the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat Thursday moved the Telangana High Court seeking postponement of the April 11 polls by a week to allow them sufficient time for campaigning.

In a petition, the farmers sought a direction to the Election Commission to postpone the polling in the Nizamabad seat to April 18, the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha is seeking re-election from the seat.

The court posted the petition to April 8 for hearing.

All 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana will go to polls in single phase on April 11.

Over 170 farmers have filed their nominations for the April 11 Lok Sabha elections as a mark of protest, alleging that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had failed to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) for turmeric and red jowar (sorghum) produce and in getting the Turmeric Board established in Nizamabad.

Besides seeking postponement, the farmers in their petition also asked the court to direct the EC that only paper ballots be used on polling day instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as announced by the poll panel.

They also pleaded for a direction to the EC for providing specimen election symbols to them so that they can start campaigning.

In all, a total of 185 candidates are in the fray in the Nizamabad parliamentary constituency.