Munugode bypoll: Strong organisational network gives TRS edge over others

Hyderabad: The strong TRS organisational network in Munugode Assembly constituency seems to have given an edge to the ruling party in reaching out to voters and bringing them to polling booths. In contrast, at a few polling booths in the interiors, the Congress and the BJP had no agents at all.

Inquiries revealed that these agents had shifted to the TRS after Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy quit the Congress and the Assembly in August and joined the BJP.

"Congress used to have 70 sarpanches and two dozen of MPTCs and ZPTCs. Almost all of them joined the TRS. They reach out to voters, bring them to polling booths and ensure they cast their votes," said Daruvu Saidulu, a local Congress leader in Chandur. The party was left with few local leaders to mobilise the voters.

The TRS focussed on micro-level booth management not just in Munugode but also on the Hyderabad outskirts, where about 40,000 migrant voters reside. TRS leaders of LB Nagar, Uppal, Amberpet, Maheshwaram, Medchal, Ibrahimpatnam, Qutbullapur arranged free transportation for these voters. Those residing in other states got free A/C train and bus tickets.