RAJAHMUNDRY: Peddapuram Congress MLA Thota Gopalakrishna has sent his resignation to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday night, protesting against the alleged police lathicharge on him and his supporters.

In his letter, Mr. Gopalakrishna said he had already announced that if re-poll was held even in one ward, he would resign. That had happened and there was violence too.

Earlier in the day, the MLA's gunman had to open fire to disperse a mob which allegedly tried to attack him during the re-poll in the Samalkot Municipality. The MLA and his son were on their way to ward 24 when TDP workers allegedly tried to attack them. Sensing trouble, the gunman, Suryanaryana, opened fire in the air. The police then entered the scene and resorted to lathicharge to disperse both groups.

Counting today

Hyderabad Special Correspondent adds: As the official machinery gears up to count votes polled in the municipal elections, the fate of contesting candidates and political parties will be known within the first two hours on Monday.

With the re-poll in six wards and divisions in the Kamareddy, Bodhan, Samalkot and Chittoor municipalities besides one division each in the Kadapa and Warangal corporations, passing off peacefully barring an incident, decks have been cleared for counting of votes.

Counting of votes for the 96 municipalities and 11 corporations will begin at 8 a.m. and results may start pouring in from 10 a.m. State Election Commissioner A. V. S. Reddy said all arrangements had been made for counting. "The results will be out within two hours," he said. The victorious candidates would be issued election certificates and a letter informing them about the election of chairpersons and Mayors on September 30.

Control room

A control room has been set up in the SEC where 16 result compilation officers have been deputed for gathering the results. District Collectors have been instructed to appoint a liaison officer for each municipality and corporation to pass on the results to the control room in Hyderabad. The final poll percentage in municipalities was 69.16 and 55.23 for the corporations. The Repalle Municipality in Guntur district recorded 82.43 per cent polling followed by Pedana in Krishna district with 80.37 per cent.

Among corporations, Eluru topped with a turnout of 63.34 per cent and Kurnool came last recording only 46.73 per cent.

Cases booked

The commissioner said that cases had been filed against the Congress MLAs - Anam Vivekananda Reddy and Anam Ramnarayan Reddy -- and the Amalapuram MP, G. V. Harsha Kumar, for allegedly assaulting TDP workers, mediapersons and an SI.

The SEC has directed officials to take action against some presiding officers. The presiding officer of Ward 23/1 in Kadapa was found guilty of allowing voting beyond 5 p.m.

In the case of the Samalkot and Chittoor municipalities, the polling officers reportedly allowed deleted voters to exercise their franchise.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail