Campaign ends for Banswada by-election

HYDERABAD: The campaign for byelection to Banswada Assembly constituency in Nizamabad district came to an end on Tuesday. TRS leader and former minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy is seeking re-election in the bypoll scheduled for October 13.Six candidates, including TRS and Congress nominees, are in the fray.The TDP is not contesting the byelection.TRS is confident of wresting the seat from the TDP with a record majority.Congress candidate S Srinivas Goud is hopeful of faring well in the bypoll.The remaining four are independent candidates. All the TRS leaders, including party chief K Chandrasekhara Rao and Medak MP Vijayashanti, campaigned in the byelection.The TRS MLAs, TJAC leaders and Telangana Jagruti president K Kavita also took part in the election campaign targeting the ruling Congress.Senior Congress leaders did not take part in the election campaign. Only district leaders participated in the campaign of the Congress nominee. Former PCC president D Srinivas and former Assembly speaker KR Suresh Reddy did not even visit Banswada Assembly constituency.The Congress had concentrated on Srinivas Reddy opponent groups.It has made all-out efforts to protect its traditional vote bank in the constituency.Local Congress leaders seem to have an internal understanding with TDP leaders. But they are not confident of getting TDP votes. Several villages adopted unanimous resolutions supporting the candidature of Srinivas Reddy in the bypoll.For the first time, the Election Commission is using web cameras to monitor the polling through online. The entire process will be recorded with video cameras.For using web cameras, the Election Commission has taken the technology support of Basara IIIT, which is located in Adilabad district.Returning officer and joint collector Sriramreddy is overseeing arrangements to ensure the peaceful conduct of the Banswada bypoll.