Greater Hyderabad municipal elections: Only 3.10 per cent of polling recorded upto 9 am

HYDERABAD: As expected, Hyderabadis, it seems, are not inclined to come to polling booths. There are no huge queue lines at most of the polling stations in the first three hours in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls commenced at 7 am today.

Though, polling is continuing in a peaceful manner, most of the educated and elite class are not in a mood to come to polling booths. In the first two hours up to 9 am, the polling percentage was just 3.10 percent, indicating the mood of the urbanites, who are always active on social media. 

With Sunday and Monday being holidays (the latter for Guru Nanak Jayanti) and Tuesday getting declared as a local holiday for polls, it seems that many people have left the city for a family outing for the consecutive days.

The poll percentage in Corporation polls hardly crossed 45 per cent in the previous elections. In the recently held Dubbaka Assembly polls, which has 90 per cent rural population, the voter turnout was a huge 82 per cent. 

As many as 74,67,256 electors are supposed to elect their Corporators in the GHMC polls. With low turn, the officials are making fervent appeal to voters to come to polling booths.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, TRS working president KT Rama Rao, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and others exercised their franchise in the first two hours. The polling will continue up to 6 pm.