Hyderabad: The Lok Sabha election in the Nizamabad constituency of Telangana is likely to be held on ballot papers and not Electronic Voting Machines.
The reason: 185 candidates are in the fray from the seat, and an EVM can only be used if candidates are not more than 64.
A senior Election Commission official had earlier told News18 that EVMs, manufactured by Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, has the capacity to include only 64 names.
The ballot papers are used for voting in case the number of candidates exceeds 64.
The unusually high number of candidates in Nizamabad is thanks to disgruntled farmers. Of the 185 candidates who filed the nominations, 174 are farmers unhappy with the state as well as the central government over minimum support price of red jowar and turmeric.
The TRS has fielded Kavitha from the Lok Sabha seat. She is the daughter of TRS supremo and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
The farmers have entered the poll fray in large numbers to highlight their plight, a farmers' leader said.
Initially, the number of farmers who had filed nominations were over 200, but after vetting, the poll panel approved candidatures of 174. CEO Rajat Kumar has informed that 194 symbols are available now and more will be alloted if necessary.
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