No exclusive polling stations for gated communities

Hyderabad: Requests by residents of gated communities and housing societies to set up exclusive polling stations for them, on their premises were ruled out by election officials. The reason: The gated communities refused to allow people from nearby areas to also cast their votes.

A returning officer from Rangareddy district said that these housing societies were not ready to comply with ECI guidelines related to stations or give a written acknowledgement.

“To set up a polling station, the premises should be handed over to the police 48 hours ahead of the polling and on poll day. In addition, all CCTV cameras should be working. Members of housing societies were not ready to comply with these guidelines,” the officer said. They were not ready even for temporary changes to set up a polling station.

Among societies to have requested exclusive polling stations are Aparna Cyberlife, My Home Vihanga, Galaxy Apartments, Jayabheri Orange County and Golf View Apartments, residents of which told Deccan Chronicle that a polling station within their society will be helpful.

No such request was made in Hyderabad, said district electoral officer (DEO) Ronald Rose. He further said that the locations of polling stations were finalised and members of the society should approach the returning officer and submit a request in advance.

An official deployed on election duty said that even if a polling station is set up within a gated community, a few voters from surrounding areas should be allowed to exercise their franchise here, if required.

“But residents objected to it. Following this, the proposal to set up the polling station in the housing societies was cancelled,” the official said.