Huzurabad witnesses intense canvassing on last day

Hyderabad: Leaders of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, were engaged in hectic last-ditch effort to woo voters in Huzurabad Assembly constituency, where the campaigning for October 30 bypolls is ending Wednesday evening.

Ministers Harish Rao, Srinivas Yadav, Koppula Eshwar, Gangula Kamalakar and other TRS leaders were carrying out intensive campaigning for what is billed as a prestige battle for the ruling party.

Highlighting the government's welfare programmes and targeting BJP for neglecting Telangana and rising fuel prices, they were going all out for the victory of party's candidate G. Srinivas Yadav.

On the other hand, BJP's central leader incharge for Telangana Tarun Chugh, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy, state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay and party's candidate Eatala Rajender were campaigning aggressively on the last day.

The day will also see intense campaigning by state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy, Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and MP Uttam Kumar Reddy in favour of party candidate B. Venkata Narsing Rao. The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Eatala Rajender. He quit TRS in June, a month after he was dropped from the State Cabinet following allegations of land grabbing. He switched loyalties to BJP.

Rajender, who is locked in a three-cornered contest with TRS and Congress, has been targeting TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for what he calls his dictatorial style of functioning. He has been calling the by-election a fight for people's self-respect. TRS leader and Finance Minister Harish Rao, who had been leading the ruling party's campaign for four months, alleged that Rajender has mortgaged the self-respect to BJP.