Banswada Bypoll Peaceful: 77% Votes Polled

The Banswada bypoll in Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh held on Thursday went on peacefully recording a 77% polling of votes. The counting of votes would be taken up on October 17. The election was conducted peacefully amidst high security and online supervision by the Election Commission using web cameras to ensure transparency.

Large number of voters reached polling booths early in the morning. The bypoll was necessitated as sitting TDP MLA Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy resigned from his post and the party and joined TRS. He quit the TDP in protest against the party's alleged ambivalent stand on the Telangana issue.

TRS candidate Pocharam Srinivas Reddy expressed confidence about his victory and stated that his victory in the byelections will become an eye-opener to the Central government and will force it to take an early decision on Telangana issue. The TDP chose not to field its candidate, while ruling Congress nominee is S Srinvasa Goud.