HYDERABAD: It was a dismal turnout in many parts of the city for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, as most voters treated Monday as an extended holiday. Officials put the average turnout around 46 per cent.
The election staff including police, outnumbered voters at any given point of time in polling booths arranged at Diamond Jubilee School at Chirag Ali, Vivekavardhini College, Government High School near Gandhi Bhavan, Siddambar Bazar, Narayana Junior College in SR Nagar, Samhita Degree college in Saidabad, Jyothi Balamandir in Moosarambagh, Government Girls High School at Chaderghat.
The situation was no different in localities like Falaknuma, Shah Ali Banda, Charminar, Hyderguda, Punjagutta and other localities of the city. The turnout of woman voters was pretty dismal in these localities.
However, Puranapul division stood out by contrast as people thronged the booths in large numbers since morning.
Because of sharp fall in the overnight temperature, polling was at its lowest till 9 am, however, it picked up later in the day.
“A local body election is not as exciting as the recent general elections.
I barely know the names of the contesting candidates,” Srikanth Reddy resident of Nampally told Expresso. In the general elections held during April this year, the percentage of voting in Greater Hyderabad was 56 per cent. The percentage of voting for the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) elections held in Febraury 2002 was 43.47 per cent.
Speaking to reporters, Election Authority and GHMC Commissioner S P Singh and District Election Officer and GHMC Special Commissioner, M T Krishna Babu said that polls ended on a peaceful note. Later in the day, especially in Old City, the cadre of one political party forcefully brought voters to the polling stations.
However, some voters in many polling stations had to return disappointed because of discrepancies in the voters list. “My wife Padma and other family members of mine cast their votes but I could not. Though I had the valid EPIC and ration card, polling staff denied me entry, as my name did not figure in the voting list,” an annoyed S Pullaiah of Azampura division said.
At division number 31, one Abdul Fahim (19), who looked younger than his age, was initially denied the chance to vote as there was a mismatch in his father’s name in different documents.
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