BJP Telangana president G Kishan Reddy, accompanied by party leader Eatala Rajender, arriving at the voting booth in Hyderabad on Wednesday; AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, accompanied by party leaders, makes his way to the polling booth

HYDERABAD: The polling for the Hyderabad Local Authorities MLC constituency passed off peacefully with 78.57%, or 88 of the total 112 voters, including Union minister G Kishan Reddy and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, casting their ballot on Wednesday.

First-ever contest for coveted seat

The counting of votes will be taken up at GHMC Panwar Hall on April 25.
A contest took place for the first time for this seat in Telangana, as the previous elections were unanimous. BJP candidate N Gautham Rao and AIMIM’s Mirza Riyaz Ul Hassan Effendi are in the fray for the coveted seat. The electoral college for the MLC seat comprises MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and corporators from Hyderabad district.
The election was necessitated as sitting MLC MS Prabhakar Rao’s term would end on May 1. He was in BRS then and was elected unanimously with AIMIM and BRS having an absolute majority in terms of voters six years ago. He joined Congress along with five other BRS MLCs in July 2024.
While BRS and Congress did not field their candidates, the grand old party participated in the polling with its Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav, MLCs Balmoori Venkat, Amer Ali Khan, and M Kodandaram (TJS), mayor Gadwal Vijaylakshmi, turncoat MLA Danam Nagender, and turncoat corporators casting their votes.
BRS had issued a whip to its voters for this MLC seat not to participate in polling, and their members stayed away. However, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud said the Congress members participated in the polling as there was an informal understanding of issue-based support between the grand old party and AIMIM. The main intention of the ruling Congress was to defeat BJP and its divisive politics.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman, after casting his vote, demanded that the election authorities take action against BRS, as staying away from a democratic election amounts to boycotting a democratic process. Of the total 112 voters, BJP has 24, AIMIM 50, BRS 24, and Congress 14. Though BJP expected cross-voting by BRS members would help it, it did not happen. Returning officer for the election, Anuraag Jayanti, said of the total 112 voters, 31 were ex officio members, of which 22 exercised their right to vote. Of the 81 corporators, 66 cast their votes.
Liquor shops would be closed on April 25, the day counting would take place and results will be announced.