Reasons for the rejections included leaving some columns blank and the same candidate filing multiple nominations.
Published Nov 14, 2023 | 8:51 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 14, 2023 | 9:23 PM
2,898 candidates file nominations for the Telangana elections; 606 nominations were rejected. (Supplied)
The office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Telangana on Tuesday, 14 November, said that the nominations of 606 candidates for the Telangana Assembly polls were rejected after scrutiny by the returning officers (ROs).
Reasons for the rejections included leaving some columns blank and the same candidate filing multiple nominations.
This means a total of 2,898 candidates are now left in the contest in 119 constituencies.
The CEO’s office had earlier said that, in a first, women voters surpassed their male counterparts by number in the state.
It also said Telangana would see the highest number of voters ever — over 9.99 lakh — in the age groups of 18 and 19 years, which amounts to 3 percent of the total voters.
BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Revanth Reddy and the BJP’s Eatala Rajender are each contesting from two seats.
While KCR submitted his nomination papers to the returning officer (RO) in Kamareddy on 9 November, Revanth filed a day later on 10 November — the last date for filing nominations.
As per the ECI, 58 valid nominations were reported in Kamareddy compared to the 92 filed.
Meanwhile,114 valid nominations were reported out of the 145 filed in Gajwel — one of the constituencies where KCR is in the race. That is the highest among all the Assembly constituencies.
In Kodangal, where Revanth Reddy is in the fray besides Kamareddy, a total of 15 nominations were reported.
The BJP’s Eatala Rajender, who faces KCR in Gajwel, is also contesting from Huzurabad, where he is the sitting MLA. A total of 25 valid nominations were reported there.
In the Sircilla segment, which is represented by BRS working president and Telangana minister KT Rama Rao, 23 valid nominations were reported. In Siddipet, where BRS leader and Finance Minister T Harish Rao has a strong hold, 35 nominations were reported.
Serilingampally, the largest constituency in the state, reported 36 valid nominations after scrutiny.
A total of 41 candidates filed nominations from the Malkajgiri segment, where former BRS MLA Mynampally Hanumath Rao is in the fray.
Among the 606 rejected nominations is that of senior Congress leader K Jana Reddy for the Nagarjunasagar constituency. Multiple reasons were cited for this, and it is being seen as a major blow to the Congress.
Meanwhile, the number of contestants may decrease further after the last day of withdrawal of nominations on Wednesday.
As the filing of nominations for the 30 November Telangana Assembly election ended on 10 November, the change in candidates at the last moment by political parties not only surprised people but also leaders across the political spectrum.
Both the Congress and the BJP made these last-minute changes, leading to some scrambling and confusion.
Just hours before the closing of nomination filing, the Congress changed its candidate from Narayankhed. Former Zaheerabad MP Suresh Shetkar, who was earlier given a ticket from the seat and filed three sets of nomination papers, was sidelined as a B-form was given to Patlolla Sanjeeva Reddy.
In the Suryapet constituency, Congress leader Patel Ramesh Reddy filed the nomination as a rebel candidate after the party once again fielded former minister Ramreddy Damodar Reddy. Ramesh Reddy filed the nomination as a candidate of the All India Forward Bloc.
The party announced Damodar Reddy’s candidature on Thursday night, evoking strong protests from Ramesh Reddy’s followers. Ramesh Reddy, a strong aspirant, was so disheartened that he along with his family members burst into tears.
