Local body elections: Repolling in Siddipet, Rangareddy booths

HYDERABAD: Following reports of ballot papers being changed in two polling stations in Siddipet and Rangareddy districts in the first phase of local body elections on Monday, the State Election Commission (SEC) has ordered repolling in the two booths. The repolling will be held on May 14 from 7 am to 5 pm along with polling to other ZPTC and MPTC seats in the third phase.
State election commissioner V Nagi Reddy on Tuesday said a bundle of 42 ballot papers of Andey MPTC seat got mixed with ballot papers of Alwal MPTC elections in polling station (No 50) during the polling. The presiding officer noticed that 33 ballot papers of Andey MPTC seat were issued to Alwal MPTC voters in the polling station, who exercised their franchise. Alerted on this, returning officer of Alwal verified the ballot papers in other polling stations and found them to be correct. However, the district election authority of Siddipet said the election process was vitiated due to issue of wrong ballot papers.
In a similar incident in MPTC elections in Aziznagar in Rangareddy district, SEC received a report that 34 ballot papers of Kanakamamidi MPTC were issued to Aziznagar MPTC voters in polling station (No 111).