HYDERABAD: Chaos ruled polling booths at Mandal Parishad Primary School near Manikonda due to mismanagement of the polling staff.
Many voters, who did not have voter slips, were directed by polling staff to go to the GHMC office located nearby to collect their voter slips. Despite voter slips being issued to voters at the GHMC office, the voters were still directed to search for their Electoral Photo Identity Card(EPIC) placed in boxes inside the GHMC office.
This led to chaos as many voters started frantically searching for voter ID cards, at the GHMC office, rather than going back to the polling booth with their voter slips to cast their vote. Many voters who did not find their EPICs, returned home without voting despite having their names in the electoral rolls.
Lack of awareness among voters also to be blamed
Although the polling officials were to be blamed for not guiding the voters properly, even the voters, many of whom were literate, were at fault due to lack of awareness regarding the process and documents required for casting vote.
When interacted with some of the voters, it was learnt that many of them did not have an idea that they can cast their vote if they have their voter slip along with any of the valid government issued identity cards.
However, lack of awareness was evident at polling booths across the city.
Voter slip with minor boy’s picture found, complaint lodged
Hyderabad: A complaint was lodged with the Hyderabad police after EC has issued a voter slip having a minor boy’s picture and name of another person from Charminar constituency. In the voter slip, the voter name was printed as Sayeed Shaik Abdul with polling center as Hyderabad city Grandhalaya Samatha in Charminar assembly segment. But the voter slip had a minor boy’s picture.
The Officials suspect that at the time of enrolling, the boy’s picture might have been uploaded mistakenly. However, further enquiry revealed that the voter, Sayeed Shaik Abdul, is 18 years old and the same details were last updated on 28/03/ 2019. Officials has initiated an inquiry into the issue