Notes change hands, voters on a high in Adilabad

ADILABAD: Political parties are leaving no stone unturned to win byelections for Adilabad assembly constituency. From distribution of money and liquor to promising funds for development, parties are making all out efforts to ensure votes. Some smart voters are making quick money by pledging their votes to every party candidate who is arriving with ‘gift money’. While a male voter is being given Rs 200 along with a liquor bottle, women are being paid Rs 400 each for their vote. The phenomenon is rampant in almost all political parties, but both Congress and TDP have gained an edge over others to attract the voters. On Saturday, the special party police led by SI, P Sanjeev nabbed a Congress leader Abdul Samad red-handed while distributing money in Kurshidnagar colony in Adilabad town. The police seized voter slips and Rs 7,400 from him.  The major political parties are coughing up anything between Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh to each village depending on votes available there. On condition of anonymity, a villager of Saidpur in Bela mandal said that  political parties distributed Rs 200 each along with a liquor bottle and free transportation to voters who attend their meetings. “Though both media and police know about the money distribution, they are keeping mum as the political leaders have learnt the art of ‘managing’ them,” alleged an intermediate student from Adilabad town.