Hyderabad, April 16: As people lined up to vote under the scorching sun across the state, there were a lucky few who exercised their franchise in the “coolest” way.
Altogether 2,600 voters at the Malaysian township and KPHB Phase-V in Kukatpally Assembly constituency got to vote in the first-ever air-conditioned polling booth in the state.
The Election Commission has allotted the club house on the premises of the township as the polling booth. The air-conditioned club house, which is otherwise used for meetings and functions for members of the township, became a polling booth much to the relief of people of the locality.
Interestingly, the voter turnout in this polling booth was huge and reached as much as 50 per cent by noon. Even the polling officials were surprised to see such huge turnout so early in the day.
Committee members of the township said they conduct their colony elections in the same air-conditioned club house.
“There are 7,000 people residing in this township of whom 942 are voters. Besides, there are about 1,600 voters from the KPHB Phase-V. So they allotted our club house as the polling booth. I was surprised to see the huge turnout,” said Mr P. Reddy, secretary of the township.
Voters from KPHB Phase-V were surprised to vote in the “chilling” atmosphere for the first time.
With a number of restaurants and food outlets on the premises of the club house, the election day turned out to be more of a festive occasion with voters along with their families congregating there to vote and enjoy.
“The heat was too much. Most polling booths don’t have any facilities. I was amazed when I entered the booth. It was a different voting experience for a person like me who voted in the last four elections. I think if such facilities are given elsewhere, the turnout would be much higher,” said Mr Ramaiah P, a voter.
Names missing in voter list
Hyderabad, April 16: Thousands of voters had to return from polling booths disappointed and angry after finding that their names had been deleted from the photo electoral rolls when they went to exercise their franchise on Thursday.
Many of them had cast their ballot in the same polling booth in the previous election with the same ID cards.
However, this time, their names were missing, thanks to the inefficiency of officials.
In other instances, voters had to return as the name or the photograph on the ID card did not match with those on the rolls available with polling officials.
And in a few cases, the serial number of voters given on the ID card was different from that in the official list. The voters had to run after the agents of various parties to find out the real serial number.
Adding to the woes of voters were technical snags in EVMs that held up polling process for hours together in several booths.
However, the Chief Electoral Officer, Dr I.V. Subba Rao, said voters had been prompted again and again during the last three months to verify their names on the voters’ list.
As many as six booth-level meetings were held for verification of names and photos after the final list was published on January 22, Dr Subba Rao pointed out.
But voters were enraged and lashed out at the election authorities for not ensuring that their names were included on the list.
Mr Ashok Vidyarthi, Wing Commander (retd.), of Akbar Road in Secunderabad, was thrilled because he was going to vote for the first time as he made use of postal ballots when he was posted at different areas of the country.
However, Mr Vidyarthi was shocked to find that neither his name nor the names of his family members were on the voters list.
“My name is in the website of the EC,” he said. “Can we not have a poll in which the democratic right is not denied because of inefficient officials? I wish some NGO will come forward to ensure that this did not happen.”
Similarly, Mr Ghansham Ojha found that the name of his wife, Ms Mamtha Ojha, had been deleted from the list though she had a voter ID card. “I want to know under the Right to Information Act how many names were deleted and who is responsible,” he said.
Electors fail to vote on time
Hyderabad, April 16: The change in polling time in the first phase of elections on Thursday robbed many voters of their right to exercise their franchise.
Thousands of voters, who turned up late, had to leave polling stations in almost all Assembly constituencies without casting their
vote.
The Election Commission had advanced the closing time by an hour to enable polling staff and police personnel to shift voting machines from polling stations to district headquarters before sunset.
Polling is normally held between 7 am and 5 pm, but this time the Election Commission conducted polling from 7 am to 4 pm.
All the 154 Assembly constituencies and 22 Lok Sabha constituencies that went to the polls in the first phase fall in Naxal-hit Telangana and north coastal Andhra.
Though the EC took the decision in advance, it could not spread the message across villages and far-flung areas. People unaware of the change in the polling time, turned up even after 4 pm thinking that there’s still time left for them to vote. They were shocked when security personnel turned them away saying that polling had concluded at 4 pm.
However, those who were inside the polling booths before 4 pm were allowed to cast their vote.
Moreover, the EC officials failed to paste the changed timings outside polling stations. In the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, hundreds of voters, who turned up after 4 pm, were not allowed to vote.
In the three polling booths set up at SS Hindi Vidhyalaya near Sikh Village in Secunderabad and four polling booths in AV College, voters were turned away after 4 pm.
“The EC should have announced the change in timings using loud speakers. The message did not reach everyone. Thinking that there is still one hour left for the polling to end, I turned up at 4.05 pm,” said K. Raju, a voter from Chandulal Bowli in Sikh Village.
Around 200 voters turned up at polling stations in Dornakal, Mahbubabad, and Warangal (East) and Warangal (West) after the 4 pm. In north coastal Andhra too, the “late comers” were not allowed to cast their vote. Similar reports came in from Adilabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Warangal and Mahbubnagar districts.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Dr I.V. Subba Rao, however, said they had given wide publicity to the change in timing.
Polling will be held as usual, between 7 am and 5 pm in the second phase covering south coastal districts and Rayalaseema.
Vizianagaram, April 16: Inadequate knowledge of polling officials and voters to use EVMs affected polling across the district on Thursday.
The first man to be affected was former Congress leader and eight-time legislator Mr Penumatsa Sambasiva Raju. When he went to cast his vote, the EVM did not function. He could manage to vote only after the machine was repaired.
In Gorada and Kemisila, the EVMs failed to function for about half an hour forcing voters to wait under the scorching sun. A similar situation prevailed in Rajayyapet, Kunaivalasa and Nandabalaga polling stations where the EVMs did not work for more than an hour.
Villagers attack polling booths
Hyderabad, April 16: Villagers of Aiza mandal headquarters in Mahbubnagar district protested against delimitation by attacking 14 polling stations on Thursday.
Polling was suspended following the violence. “Aiza was in Gadwal constituency earlier. It became a part of Alampur constituency reserved for the SCs after delimitation. Some of the villagers went to the High Court against this. However, the petition was dismissed. The petitioner filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court. Even though it was pending, the first phase of polls were conducted,” Mahbubnagar district collector, Ms K. Damayanti, said.
One Mr Veeraiah Gupta of the village was distributing pamphlets near the booths asking the voters not to cast their votes.
“As Gupta was within the 200 metres radius of the polling booths, the local sub-inspector took him and 10 others into custody and arrested them. As they were being taken, the mob followed the police and pelted stones causing damage. Later, they barged into all polling stations and destroyed the Electronic Voting Machines and furniture. Polling was peaceful in 19 other booths in Aiza and SC colony,” Ms Damayanti said.
The polling booths were situated in Mandal Parishat School and Urdu School. “Gadwal is nearer to them when compared to Alampur. They want to stay in Gadwal constituency. Trouble was brewing in the village and officials could have addressed the problem,” said a senior police official.
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