The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Election campaign low key affair in Medak district

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 25, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Election campaign low key affair in Medak district

M. Rajeev

TRS supporters cite upcoming Group II and other competitive exams reason for non-participation of youth

- Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Lacklustre affair: Hype attached to the bypoll in Siddipet Assembly constituency notwithstanding, major thoroughfares of the town remain deserted.

RAMAYAMPET (Medak DT): The importance attached to the forthcoming byelections in Telangana region by political parties notwithstanding, the poll scene in the district is sure to confuse the lay man.

Essential ingredients of any poll – screaming youth taking out motorcycle rallies, street-corner meetings, vehicles fitted with loud speakers zooming around and other paraphernalia, are conspicuously absent in the three constituencies that are going to polls.

Siddipet, Dommat and Ramayampet Assembly constituencies are practically devoid of huge cut outs of candidates and their leaders.

The campaign seems so low key that even flexi boards, a rage among political parties these days, are rarely seen in the three constituencies.

Heat wave conditions

Apart from the heat wave conditions, absence of youth in the door-to-door contact programmes by candidates and supporters is giving anxious moments to major political parties, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti in particular.

TRS supporters cite the upcoming Group II and other competitive exams as a reason for non-participation of youth. Compounding the situation is the strict implementation of the model code of conduct by the Election Commission, with observers making it a point to remove all hoardings and banners put up without the returning officer’s permission, at least in Ramayampet and Dommat.

“The election authorities are seizing vehicles carrying banners and youth are, therefore, afraid of taking out rallies,” Devender Reddy, husband of TRS Ramayampet candidate Padma Devender Reddy said.

People uninterested

People, on their part too appeared disinterested in the polls that have become much too frequent, affecting normal life.

“Whether they achieve Telangana or not is a different matter. But our normal life is disturbed because of the bypolls,” says K. Venkatesh who runs a pan shop at Siddipet.

Others spoke in similar vein and several people who are strong votaries of Telangana feel that frequent elections are not the solution to a separate State.

A hotel owner Mallesh is, however, supportive of the TRS’ action in going to polls claiming the Telangana issue will not have the impact if the party went to the people after completing its five year tenure.

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

Andhra Pradesh