Hyderabad: The Old City witnessed a dismal voter turnout compared to other parts of the city. No major untoward incident was reported as police made foolproof security arrangements and companies of Central armed forces were deployed to assist the police machinery.
The polling percentage was low in all seven constituencies of the Old City. The reasons could be Friday prayers, bogus and dual voters and strict enforcement of election laws.
In many constituencies, voters complained that though they had voter ID cards, their names were deleted from the voter lists. In Rakshapuram, Chandrayangutta constituency, many people staged a protest at polling stations 48 and 50 against the deletion of their names from the voter lists.
BJP candidate Shahzadi Begum alleged that the names from a particular community were deleted on the behest of the MIM and the TRS.
In Goshamahal constituency, voters belonging to a particular caste agitated against the deletion of their names from the list and said that it was done at the behest of the TRS, because it was known that they would vote in favour of BJP legislator T. Raja Singh. They shouted slogans against the TRS.
In Malakpet constituency, voters of polling booths no. 102, 114, 116, 108, 109, 110, 111 complained that the presiding officers insisted on identity proof even though voters were carrying photo voter slips issued by the ECI.
MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi who was on the road during the GHMC elections confined himself to his residence. Interacting with mediapersons here on Friday, he hoped that his party would win all eight seats from where it contested.
According to local people, polling started two-and-a-half hours late at polling booth no. 219 at the Government Girls High School, Chawni Nade Ali Baig, of Yakutpura constituency due to a technical problem in the VVPAT. Election authorities replaced the machine.
Polling halted at 3.30 pm, the EVM became dysfunctional, and was restarted at 4.45 pm. The EC gave relaxation of one hour and allowed voters to cast their votes till 6 pm.
