Urban voters’ disinterest may upset TRS caluclations

WARANGAL: Though there was a negligible increase in the overall voter turnout in Warangal west constituency, the apathy of urban voters in the hub of Telangana movement could prove decisive and mar the winning chances of TRS candidate D Vinaya Bhaskar this time.

The urban voters, comprising government employees, youths, intellectuals and educated women, in the city did not bother to exercise their franchise as several polling booths remained empty for the large part of the day. While Warangal west constituency registered 53.83 per cent votes (53.16 per cent in 2009), the disinterest of urban voters was glaring.

While 1,20,673 votes were polled out of the total 2,24,158, the highest polling percentage of 78.67 was registered at Shayampet and the lowest was at Kazipet (30.82 per cent). TRS candidate Bhaskar, who won with 6,684-vote majority against his Congress rival Kondapalli Dayasagar Rao in 2009, is worried that the voter apathy could undo his winning chances.

Compared to the urban polling booths at Hanamkonda and Warangal, semi-urban centres like Somidi, Kadikikonda and Shayampet areas registered a very good polling percentage. “More than 55 per cent votes were polled in semi-urban polling stations, whereas 10-25 per cent votes were registered at the urban booths,” an election official said.

Though the government had declared a holiday and announced labour holiday under the Shops and Establishment Act, the poor turnout of the urban voters in the stronghold of T-movement could upset the calculations of TRS to take the movement forward, analysts said.

Surprisingly, shops and other establishments in Hanamkonda and suburban areas opened but the labour commissioner who toured the constituency did not book a single case of violation. “We were worried about our wages and hence worked in the shop,” said a salesman Ramulu of Somidi area. He exercised franchise later in the day.

Attributing the disinterest in voters to frequent elections, C Ramachandraiah, a retired employee of Kazipet, said: “People are fed up with voting every passing year.”

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Dayasagar Rao believes he would upstage the TRS candidate this time. “People know separate T-state is possible only with Congress at the helm,” he claimed.