Voters’ quandary: Namesakes, symbols
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Identical names of candidates and similar party symbols will make the byelections somewhat confusing for voters and perilous for candidates. Several candidates the Ramachandrapuram Assembly constituency in East Godavari district have identical names. For example, Bose is a common name in the region, and there are four candidates with that name in the fray.
Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose is the YSR (or Yuvajana Sramika Rythu) Congress candidate whose symbol is the ceiling fan. Three independent candidates also have the same name -- Pyla Bose, Pinipe Bose and Subhaschandra Bose! TD candidate Chikkala Ramachandra Rao is facing off against independent rival Chikkala Ramachandra Rao. Congress nominee Thota Trimurthulu has to contend with Trimurthulu Bandi, an Independent. In Narasannapeta, there's Dharmana Rama Das (Congress) and Dharmana Krishna Das (YSR Congress).
Rajampet has Amarnath Reddy Akepati (YSR Congress) and K. Amarnath Reddy (Independent) and Rayachoty has G. Srikanth Reddy (YSR Congress) and Srikanth Reddy K. In Rayadurg, K. Ramachandra Reddy (YSR Congress) is pitted against U. Ramachandra Reddy (Independent), while in Tirupati, B. Karunakar Reddy (YSR Congress) faces P. Karunakar Reddy (Independent).
Election symbols are also causing some worry.
The TRS symbol is the car and party president K. Chandrasekhar Rao claimed before the Election Commission that it was being confused with symbols given to other parties. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao claimed that in the recent byelections in Mahbubnagar, Kollapur, Station Ghanapur, Kamareddy and some other places, independent candidates with symbols like autorickshaw, hat, rail engine and road roller snatched a good chunk of his votes because voters mixed up the symbols (presumably because they were forms of transport).
Though he petitioned the Election Commission not to allot these symbols in the Parkal byelection, the EC turned down his plea. Sixteen candidates are in the fray in the Parkal polls. TRS nominee Moluguri Bikshapathi (car) faces the hat of Abbu Prakash Reddy and the autorickshaw of Gali Ravi. “We have requested the Election Commission, but it has allotted some of the objected to symbols,” said TRS leader Sharavan.
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