Polling across the State on Thursday started on a lacklustre note, but picked up pace towards the latter part of the day. The voter turnout in most constituencies, however, was far lower than what was recorded in the 2014 general election.
Election for Zaheerabad and Medak Lok Sabha constituencies was largely peaceful, barring incidents of technical errors in electronic voting machines (EVMs) at a few polling stations that were immediately rectified by the technical staff.
Polling here picked by 10 a.m. with a large number of voters turning up at Rudraram, Muttangi and Kandi.
At 9 a.m., polling registered at Medak Lok Sabha constituency stood at 13%, which rose to 62.5% by 3 p.m. By the end of the day, Medak registered 68.6% polling. At Zaheerabad Lok Sabha constituency, polling percentage stood at 67.8%.
In 2014 general elections, polling in Medak was 77.92% and in Zaheerabad, it was 75.64%.
Meanwhile, a video insinuating Medak Congress candidate Gali Anil Kumar’s meeting with Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao where he expressed willingness to join TRS went viral. Mr Anil Kumar lodged a complaint with police, calling the video fake and held dharna at a polling booth in Ibrahimpur.
Below expectation
In Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, which attracted national attention following mass nomination by farmers in protest against government apathy, polls were held peacefully.
Preliminary reports suggested polling figures would not cross 65%, which was 5% less than the 2014 figure. At 5 p.m. though, the number stood at only 54.20%.
Given that 185 contestants were in fray, polling time was fixed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the constituency. At Nalluru in Mupkal mandal at polling station no.4 and at polling station no. 150 and 151 in Hasakouthur village, voting was delayed by two hours.
In villages, voters got confused with the party symbols. Upon entering the polling station, some pressed buttons in the EVMs close to the VVPAT.
Member of Parliament K. Kavitha cast her vote at her in-laws’ village, Pothangal, in Navipet mandal of Bodhan segment and expressed displeasure over facilities at the polling station as she stood in queue for 40 minutes. Rajya Sabha member Dharmapuri Srinivas and Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy voted in Nizamabad and Banswada respectively.
Sluggish pace
Of the nearly 16 lakh voters in the seven assembly segments that comprise Nalgonda parliamentary constituency, 66.11 % (10,48,080) polling was achieved on Thursday. None of the seven segments crossed the 70% mark. Kodad with 68.90 % polling registered maximum turnout, followed by neighbouring Suryapet, Huzurnagar and Miryalaguda segments.
TPCC president and Nalgonda Lok Sabha contestant N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and his wife Padmavathi Reddy cast their vote in Kodad. TRS contestant Vemireddy Narsimha Reddy along with his family polled at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. Sitting Nalgonda MP Gutha Sukender Reddy and TRS legislators were in their respective constituencies for voting.
Most villagers of Pavuralagutta in PA Pally mandal in Devarakonda segment stayed away from polling, protesting lack of drinking water.
Poll agent dies
At polling station no. 110 in Kondamallepally in the same division, a 73-year-old Congress poll agent Nayini Jaipal Reddy collapsed on duty. Staff at the nearest hospital said the victim was ‘brought dead’, and suspected he suffered a stroke.
Temperature effect on polling was indicative from difference in polling figures afternoon onwards, when temperature hovered around 41 degrees C and no new queues were formed.
While the incremental polling difference till 3 p.m. was 10-15% , the last two-hour average turnout was 7%, the least being 0.35% in the Nalgonda segment. Nalgonda PC polling stood at 74.14% in 2009 and 79.01% in 2014.
Polling delayed
Around 67.96% of the 15,13,094 registered voters exercised franchise in election to the Khammam Lok Sabha constituency. Polling in all 1,798 polling stations spread across seven Assembly segments five in Khammam district and two in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district were peaceful.
Aswaraopeta Assembly segment recorded high voter turnout of 74.70% followed by Wyra (73.88), Palair (70) and Sattupalli (70), Madhira (67.24), Khammam (63.45) and Kothagudem (61).
Polling began late in Suraram village in Julurupadu mandal where villagers threatened to boycott polls over unmet demands for a bridge across a local stream, internal roads and pattas for lands. The mandal revenue officials intervened and persuaded them to cast vote, sources added.
Similar incidents were reported from Burada Raghavapuram in Enkoor mandal, Devuni Thanda in Kusumanchi mandal in Khammam constituency and three villages in Tekulapalli mandal of Yellandu Assembly segment in Mahabubabad Lok Sabha constituency.
Polling at 156 polling stations in the Left-Wing Extremism affected areas in Bhadradri-Kothagudem passed off smoothly, police said.
Thin attendance
The average polling percentage in Karimnagar and Peddapalli parliament constituencies came down to 68% and 59.24% respectively during this general election.
In 2014, when both general and assembly election were held simultaneously, the Karimnagar parliament constituency had recorded 72.59% polling while Peddapalli recorded 71.71%. In 2009, it was 66.21% and 68.81%, respectively.
This time, polling figures came down due to various factors including the heat, a general lack of enthusiasm among voters, discrepancies in voter lists and non-distribution of voter slips.
Smooth conduct
Warangal (SC) and Mahabubad ST reserved constituencies recorded 60% polling on Thursday, dipping from 76.38% and 81.04% respectively in the 2014 general election. By and large, the polling process was conducted smoothly, barring a couple of incidents of EVM developing technical snags, said district election officer and Collector Haritha.
Among the seven assembly segments of Warangal constituency, Palakurthy recorded 73%polling followed by Wardhannapet (72.10), Parkal (67), Ghanpur (63), Wardhannapet West (42.75), Wardhannapet East (55), and Bhupalapalli (52).