Stage is set for the counting of votes on Tuesday in Warangal lok Sabha by-elections where polling was held on last Saturday.
District electoral officer V Karuna told the reporters that the votes will be counted at the Market Yard in seven different halls. Strict security arrangements were made at the venue and section 144 was clamped banning the gathering of more than five people as a precautionary measures. The process will begin at 8 am and the result was expected by noon.
All eyes were focused on the constituency as this was the first test of popularity of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) since last general elections. Kadiam Srihari of TRS had won the seat reserved for the scheduled castes.
It fell vacant when he resigned to join the state cabinet.
TRS leaders say that it was a referendum on their one and a half year long rule in the state and exuded confidence that the people will reward them for their performance and policies.
The opposition parties on the other hand campaigned on the issues of farmers’ suicide and the failure of the government in fulfilling the promise of government jobs.
The by election has witnessed a keen tussle between P Dayakar of TRS, P Devaiah of the BJP-TDP alliance and former Minister Sarve Satyanarayana of Congress.