BJP, PRTU Secure Wins in Telangana MLC Elections
Malka Komaraiah secures victory for BJP in the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad teachers’ constituency, while PRTU’s Sripal Reddy unseats the incumbent in Nalgonda.
Hyderabad: The BJP and the Progressive Recognised Teachers Union (PRTU) won one seat each in the teacher's constituency elections to the Legislative Council on Monday, while counting in the graduates seat polls, where the Congress and the BJP are facing off, was progressing slowly.
The BJP’s Malka Komaraiah won the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad teacher's seat, easily crossing the threshold of 12,073 votes. He was over 5,000 votes ahead of his rivals.
The PRTU’s P. Sripal Reddy unseated A. Narsi Reddy, the sitting MLC from the UTF, in the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda teachers' constituency.
Elections were held in the three constituencies on February 27. The result for the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad graduate's seat is expected later. Counting will be continuing round the clock.
Counting started at 8 am at Karimnagar and Nalgonda for the three constituencies. Staff segregated the ballot papers based on the priority votes polled by each candidate, and separated the invalid votes. Postal votes were also mixed with the regular ballot papers ahead of counting.
In the Karimnagar teacher seat, the BJP’s Komuraiah defeated Vanga Mahender Reddy.
In Nalgonda, the PRTU’s Sripal Reddy won the teacher seat with second priority votes, defeating sitting MLC Alugubelli Narsi Reddy. Among the other candidates was the BJP’s P, Sarrotham.
As no candidate secured the magic figure in the first priority votes, officials took up counting of the second priority votes. Sripal Reddy won by getting 9,021 votes and UTF candidate Narsi Reddy stood second with 6,448 votes.
Out of total 24,135 votes, 23,641 votes were ruled valid.
Speaking to the media, Sripal Reddy said his victory was a win for the teachers. He said he would work to strengthen the education system.
While leaving the counting centre, Narsi Reddy said that he had the satisfaction of working as a MLC for six years and raising the issues of the teachers and education system in the Legislative Council. He said he would continue to work against the privatisation of education.
