Lowest in city

On Wednesday, only 53 per cent of the city came out and cast vote. This was a letdown as the Chief Electoral Officer had expected a turnout of at least 75 per cent.

The city recorded a voter turnout of just 53 per cent. The lowest voter turnout of 50 per cent was recorded in Nampally. While Secunderabad Cantonment and Khairatabad Assembly segments recorded 51 per cent turnout each, maximum voters turned up in the Secunderabad constituency, which polled 58 per cent votes. All the hype stirred up by candidates during their campaigns to impress the voters fizzled out as most of them did not turn up to exercise their vote.

Some 22,348 polling staff and over 20,000 security forces were deployed in 3,386 polling stations in the Greater Hyderabad limits to ensure that nearly 80 lakh voters voted peacefully. Yet the city was not spared of a few hiccups in the polling process.

The day started with many voters complaining that there were technical snags in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which delayed the start of polling at some centres.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bhanwarlal pointed out that the EVMs received from Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) were placed in factory mode and that the polling staff was unable to use them. He said that such EVMs were replaced in a span of 20 to 30 minutes as every district had 2,000 EVMs in reserve.

It was embarrassing for polling officials in AS Rao Nagar as polling began 30 minutes late because the agents at St Theresa School arrived late at the venue.

Rough day in Yakutpura

The police in the constituency were on their toes the entire day as there was rift between the two contestants from the MIM and MBT parties. Both the candidates were detained for the day. While MIM MLA contestant Mumtaz Khan was detained by the police at Yakutpura near Volta Hotel in Sultan Shahi, MBT candidate Farhath Khan was arrested near Talab Katta for protesting against the alleged rigging by MIM workers and booth capturing. The detention irked cadres from both the parties. They resorted to stone pelting at the Islamic College. The police had to resort to lathi-charge to establish peace in the area.

MLA put under house arrest

Meanwhile, LB Nagar Congress MLA candidate Sudheer Reddy's partymen attacked TDP candidate R Krishnaiah's cadre following a minor tiff. Krishnaiah accused the Congress leader of harassment to the police, after which Sudhir Reddy was put under house arrest for a few hours.

In Gowliguda, TDP cadres staged a dharna after reports that Congress candidate Mukhesh Goud's son Vikram Goud allegedly attacked TDP leader Durgadas. However, the cops intervened to disperse the crowd.

Establishments raided

The labour department, on the back of a strict warning to offer a paid holiday to employees working in different establishments, conducted a raid at the Hitec City. The officials raided five offices--Karvy, Narayana Techno School, Cyber Pearl, HCL and HSBC. The officials reported that most of the staff from the companies were relieved from work and were asked to vote.

Commenting on the news CV Anand, Cyberabad Police Commissioner, said, “If they were working after voting then it’s not an issue. Most of the offices work in shifts. But it is against the rules and we are inquiring into the matter.”

Voter names missing

Some of the prominent people whose names were missing from the voter’s list included ace comedian Brahmanandam, who was unable to cast his vote. IAS officer Radha was in for a shock as his entire family members' names were missing from the voter list.

He expressed disappointment that their names were removed without notice.

Principal Secy T Radha fails to cast his vote

Names of many VIPs did not figure in the voters’ list and they returned from the polling stations disappointed. Social welfare principal secretary T Radha and former deputy secretary in the Forest department Pillutla Anjaneyulu were among those who were unable to cast their votes.

Radha along with his family went to the polling station in Jubilee Hills constituency and came back without casting his vote. He said that he cast his vote in 2009 election on the EPIC card number – fyy 3646445 and he did not find his name in the list this time. “I have been residing in plot number 228, Road Number 72, Prasasanagar since 2006.

“I intend to make a complaint to the returning officer in this regard,” he said, adding that the names of his wife Pankajam and son Kameswaran were also not in the list.

Meanwhile, Pillutla Anjaneyulu, residing in Musheerabad assembly segment, too faced the same problem. He said that he called the election office several times and failed to get any response from them.