Backed by BJP, Anji Reddy ‘wins’ Karimnagar Graduates’ seat

BJP leaders celabrating the victory of C. Anji Reddy in Sangareddy. MOHD ARIF
| Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF

In a nail biting finish, the BJP-backed candidate Chinnamile Anji Reddy emerged victorious in the keenly fought election to the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Graduates’ Constituency with a majority of 4,991 votes after the end of the second preference vote count on Wednesday night.

However, the Election Commission is yet to officially declare the winner as of 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

In a jolt to the ruling Congress, the BJP wrested the Karimnagar Graduates’ seat, demonstrating its sway over graduates in 15 districts spanning across north Telangana.

The BJP cadres led by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay burst into victory celebrations in Karimnagar on Wednesday night.

At the end of the second preference vote count, elimination of other 53 candidates and vote addition process, Mr. Anji Reddy secured 78,635 votes, while Mr Narender Reddy garnered 73,644 votes. BSP’s Prasanna Harikrishna stood third with 63,404 votes, sources said.

The counting of second preference votes was taken up on the third day of counting on Wednesday morning as none of the candidates secured the stipulated 50%+1 of the valid votes in the first preference vote count.

A total of 2,52,029 votes were polled in the February 27 Graduates’ Constituency elections. Of these, a staggering number of 28,686 votes were declared invalid during the scrutiny of the ballot papers in the initial stages of the counting process.

Meanwhile, stalemate prevailed for sometime after the end of the second preference vote count when the Congress agents sought counting of third preference votes citing that none of the candidates achieved the stipulated ‘quota’ required for being declared as a winner.

The election authorities reportedly referred the matter to the Election Commission, sources added. The BJP has already bagged the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Teachers’ seat in the Legislative Council.

The party-backed candidate Malka Komaraiah won from the Karimnagar Teachers’ constituency in the MLC election, the results of which were declared on March 3.