Adilabad: Polling for the Peddapalli parliament seat reserved for SCs went off peacefully on Monday. Some 63.86 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise before closing time, officials said.
Poling timing was up to 4pm in Manthani, Chennur, Bellampalli and Mancherial constituencies, considered Maoist-affected and sensitive.
BJP candidate Gomasa Srinivas gave a tough fight to Congress nominee Gaddam Vamsi Krishna for the Peddapalli Lok Sabha seat. There are allegations that some BRS leaders openly asked their cadre in a few areas to vote for the BJP.
Reports are that the BRS votes were shifted to the BJP in many places, so as to defeat the Congress; and this consolidated the BJP’s position. Nevertheless, BRS candidate and former minister Koppula Eshwar tried to put up a serious fight against his opponents.
The Madiga community votes and the traditional BJP vote bank helped the party to put up a tough fight against Congress candidate Gaddam Vamsi Krishna.
MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga campaigned in the Peddapalli LS constituency in support of BJP candidate Gomasa Srinivas.
However, Congress leaders expressed confidence that Gaddam Vamsi will win the Peddapalli LS seat with a good majority of votes.
Along with his mother Saroja Vivek, contesting candidate Gaddam Vamsi exercised his franchise at a polling station on Market Road in Mancherial town.
The polling percentage was recorded high in Bellampalli and Dharmapuri assembly constituencies by 5pm, compared to the remaining assembly constituencies in the Peddapalli LS. Congress leaders say that Gaddam Vamsi will have an edge over BJP candidate Gomasa Srinivas even as BRS votes shifted to the BJP.
All the seven Congress MLAs of Peddapalli LS strived hard to ensure the victory of party candidate Gaddam Vamsi.
