Symbol Mix-Up in Vijayawada's 55th Division Brings Polling to a Halt

VIJAYAWADA: Polling came to a standstill at the Old Rajarajeswaripeta polling station in the 55th Division of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation following an alleged mix-up in the election symbols printed on the ballot papers on Sunday.

According to reports, the election symbols of two candidates were interchanged in the ballot papers. The YSRCP candidate, Shaik Hasan Basha, was allotted the hand-fan symbol, but the ballot paper reportedly carried the Congress party's hand symbol instead. Similarly, the Congress candidate, Shaik Hasan, whose symbol was supposed to be the hand, was shown the hand-fan symbol.

The discrepancy led to confusion among voters and polling staff, forcing officials to halt the polling process.

Election officials reportedly initiated steps to rectify the error by following the Election Commission's prescribed procedure for replacing the ballot papers. However, polling had not resumed at the time of reporting.

Meanwhile, TDP leaders staged a protest against the election officials, questioning the lapses in the polling arrangements and demanding an immediate resolution of the issue.

The incident caused disruption to the polling process in the division, with voters awaiting further instructions from the election authorities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dasari Srinivasa Rao

[email protected]

Dasari Srinivasa Rao is a Staff Reporter with The Hans India, covering NTR and Krishna districts, with a primary focus on Vijayawada. He has 32 years of experience in journalism. His reporting spans a wide range of beats, including city and rural development, politics, irrigation, education, crime, and human-interest stories.

Read More