Munugode in the Nalgonda district of Telangana saw a high percentage of polling despite a high drama, accusations and counter-accusations by the three key political parties and scuffles between the cadres of BJP and TRS that constituency witnessed on polling day.
However, the day ended with the BJP blaming the Election Commission for failing to rein in the ruling TRS which, they alleged, lured voters with money and liquor, the same allegation that TRS echoed but at BJP.
Till 5 pm, Munugode recorded 77.55 percent polling as particularly as women voters voted with visible enthusiasm. Though polling ended at 6 pm but there were reports of long queues in front of polling stations and those who were handed tokens would be allowed to exercise their franchise.
According to CEO Vikas Raj around 42 non voters were identified and were sent out and even on poll day Rs2.99 lakh of cash was seized. After polling got over BJP state president blamed the chief electoral officer, the police officials alleging they were under control of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and turned a blind eye when the party submitted evidence of TRS distributing money, gold and liquor to lure voters. However, he claimed the BJP would win Munugode. TRS leaders submitted a complaint to chief electoral officer Vikas Raj during the day alleging that BJP was illegally distributing hundreds of crores of liquor and money to voters violating the election code of conduct and sought his intervention.
A scuffle broke out between BJP and TRS party cadres near Sarampet polling station in Marriguda mandal in Munugode and later at Chandur but police swiftly dispersed the workers.
There was a controversy after BJP candidate posted a photograph of him casting vote on Twitter but soon TRS social media convenors pointed out that he was enrolled at Nakrekal Assembly constituency and enquired if he indulged in bogus voting. The BJP candidate then deleted his post. Congress candidate Sravanthi Palvai complained to CEO that a morphed video of her meeting Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was doing the rounds. The TRS is hoping that Congress will hold on to its vote bank or it will fall in its kitty instead of that of BJP. The Left parties who have a sizeable presence in Munugode have declared their support for the TRS.
But tension ran high in Munugode since last night as BJP candidate K Rajagopal Reddy also staged a sit in demonstration at the office of the returning officer alleging the presence of outsiders in the Assembly constituency, a charge denied by the TRS. Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar then tried to reach Munugode, leaving party head quarters at midnight along with supporters. He was detained by police at the outskirts of Hyderabad while he was on his way to Munugode Assembly constituency before polling began while alleging that TRS leaders who were non locals had stayed back in the constituency. Initially, the attempts by police officials to stop him at Malakpet and Vanasthalipuram were not fruitful before the convoy was stopped at Abdullapurmet on Hyderabad-Vijayawada. But the BJP leader and his supporters sat on the road, resisting arrest.