KCR sets TRS ready to face bypoll in September

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has alerted party leaders and cadre to prepare for Huzurabad Assembly bypoll in September last week. He held a meeting with senior party leaders to discuss the issue on Wednesday.

Party sources said the Chief Minister informed them that he had information that the Election Commission (EC) was likely to issue poll notification next week either before August 31 or in the first week of September and polling would be held in September last week.

Rao felt that EC was planning to complete bypolls in all the states in September itself as October would not be conducive to hold elections due to Dasara, Durga Puja, Navaratri celebrations etc. Normally, the EC maintains at least 24 days gap between the announcement of poll dates and polling.

He opined that even if poll notification was issued in the first week of September, the polling could be completed by September-end. On August 12, the EC wrote to all political parties in the country, seeking their opinion regarding campaigning for the bypolls following the Covid guideline by August 30. With this, parties expect EC to issue poll notification soon after August 30 deadline.

Huzurabad Assembly seat fell vacant on June 12 after sitting MLA Etala Rajendar resigned from the TRS as well as MLA post to join the BJP. As per norms, the EC has to hold bypoll within six months of the seat falling vacant. Although, there is time until December 12 to hold bypoll for Huzurabad, the EC is expected to club bypoll along with West Bengal bypolls and also other states in September.