Hyderabad: With some exit polls indicating no party is likely to get a clear majority in some municipalities and corporations, major political parties, especially BJP and BRS, have decided to shift their nominees to camps immediately. The winning candidates will be brought back to the respective corporations and municipalities on the day of the election of chairperson, vice chairperson and mayor on Feb 16.With the counting of votes in the polls to 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations to be take up at 123 centres across the state from 8am on Friday, all the parties were anxiously waiting for the results, which might take time as ballot papers were used in the election.
Both BRS and BJP have arranged buses in some areas to shift their candidates (assuming all their candidates are likely to win) to camps in other states on Thursday night. They were asked to switch off their mobile phones until the counting gets over.Suryapet MLA and ex-minister G Jagadish Reddy shifted about 48 BRS nominees to camps, as other parties might lure their winning candidates. Similarly, candidates from Bhongir and Chandur in Nalgonda and Yadadri districts were shifted on Wednesday night by BRS leaders.In Adilabad, BJP leader Payal Shankar and BRS ex-minister Jogu Ramanna suspect the ruling Congress might poach their would-be corporators/councillors and made arrangements to shift them on Thursday afternoon. Similarly, Nirmal MLA and BJP floor leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy also reportedly decided to shift Nirmal BJP municipal nominees to undisclosed locations. The parties are also shifting their candidates in Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Mancherial municipal corporations, and other places where no party might get a clear majority.With the exit polls predicting no clear majority could emerge in some urban local bodies, parties were taking all measures to thwart attempts to lure their winning candidates.
