• Vote for cash in real-estate boom areas

        

• Choutuppal records highest value with Rs. 30,000

        

• Rs. 15,000 in Adibatla and Rs. 10,000 in Bandlaguda

       

• Plots to voters in Shamshabad and no control on liquor

Following strict surveillance by the State Election Commission (SEC) initiated special teams across the Telangana in connection with Urban Local Body (ULB) polls, majority of the candidates have adopted cashless payment modes through UPI like GPay, PhonePe, PayTM etc.

As there was no chance of rushing to voters and distributing money among adverse atmosphere with the surveillance of police, SEC teams, SSTs, FSTs and contenders in municipalities and municipal corporations, majority of candidates on Tuesday evening transferred money through UPI apps and urged votes through encrypted messaging apps.

Besides this, the rate of vote was increased hour-after-hour in few localities on par with the auctions between contenders and Choutuppal municipality in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district had recorded highest vote value with Rs. 30,000 by evening in just hours where the value was Rs. 5,000 in the morning hours.

In another case in the same district, a candidate offered 3-tier A/C train tickets for five voters who had to come from New Delhi to cast their vote. In Devarakonda municipality of Nalgonda district, a candidate promised few voters, who are working in Mumbai, to bear all the travel and auxiliary expenses in reaching their hometown to cast votes.

Sources said that a candidate, who is a realtor and expected to be Chairperson Candidate, in Shamshabad municipality had offered plots with 50 Square Yards of area. His opponents too offered up to Rs. 15,000 per vote.

Apart from these, almost in all the wards and divisions, majority of candidates have distributed gifts including Gold Coins, Electronic Goods and Electrical home appliances.