Hyderabad: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) expected to begin the enrolment drive for the Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ constituencies after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, political parties and ticket aspirants have already launched voter registration campaigns across several districts.The terms of BRS MLC Vani Devi and independent MLC Teenmar Mallanna expire in March next year. The ECI is expected to start the enrolment process in Oct.Party leaders estimate that Greater Hyderabad alone has over 25 lakh graduates, but the current electorate in the Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar Graduates’ constituency is only about 5.4 lakh. The Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituency has around 3.8 lakh registered graduate voters. Parties aim to significantly increase enrolment, particularly among youth.BJP state spokesperson and MLC aspirant Sarangula Amarnath said the party has begun enrolling graduates by sharing registration links and contacting eligible voters. “The drive will be intensified after the SIR is completed,” he told TOI. BJP state executive committee member D Pavan Kumar has also launched an enrolment campaign in Devarakadra in erstwhile Mahbubnagar district.Amarnath, who is an IITian, said the ECI, which creates awareness to improve voter turnout during elections, should also focus on increasing graduate voter enrolment.On the BRS side, ticket aspirant Nagender Goud has started an enrolment drive in Vikarabad, while supporters of BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar are conducting a similar campaign in Nagarkurnool. However, parties are expected to decide on candidates only closer to the nomination process.Among potential candidates, Vani Devi, daughter of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, who won the previous MLC elections, is unlikely to seek another term. BJP state president N Ramchander Rao, who lost to Vani Devi by 11,703 votes in the previous election, is also not keen to contest again. Political analyst K Nageshwar contested as an independent, while Chinna Reddy was the Congress candidate in the last Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar MLC election.In the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ constituency, BRS leader Palla Rajeshwar Reddy won in 2021 but resigned after being elected MLA from Jangaon. In the subsequent bypoll, Congress candidate Teenmar Mallanna defeated BRS nominee Rakesh Reddy, while BJP candidate G Premender Reddy finished third.
