The upcoming Telangana Legislative Assembly elections are expected to see fierce competition among three main contenders, as indicated by the large number of nominations filed by candidates before the November 10 deadline.
A total of 4,798 candidates submitted 5,716 sets of nominations for the 119 constituencies, which will be voting in a single phase on November 30. This averages out to around 40 contestants per constituency. With the potential for close races in many areas, the votes garnered by independent candidates will play a crucial role in determining the outcome.
Unsurprisingly, Gajwel, where BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is running, reported the highest number of nominations at 145. Additionally, there were nominations from the BRS president, BJP leader Eatala Rajender, and several independent candidates. Kamareddy, the other constituency where Mr. Rao and TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy are competing, had a relatively lower number of nominations at 92.
Sircilla constituency, presently represented by BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, saw 36 candidates filing their papers, while Siddipet, where Minister T. Harish Rao has previously won, reported 62 nominations.
Medchal constituency on the outskirts of the city had 116 nominations by the end of the nomination period, while L.B. Nagar had 77 candidates vying for the poll. Several other constituencies also reported more than 50 nominations, with Suryapet (represented by Minister G. Jagdishwar Reddy) receiving 68 nominations, and Munugode, which was won by BRS in the last bypoll, seeing 74 nominations.
Many constituencies in the north Telangana districts and those in the GHMC limits also received over 30 nominations each.