Hyderabad: Several voters from Banjara Hills, Somajiguda, and Begumpet voiced their frustration over the long wait that they had undergone standing in queue during the ongoing election. In most cases, the delay was attributed to accommodating senior voters, accompanied by their family members.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Banjara Hills, lamented, "I had to wait for more than an hour just to cast my vote. The line barely moved, mainly because elderly voters took a lot of time, as they came with their family members
Radhika said, "I understand the importance of accommodating senior citizens, but it was disheartening to see them taking so much time. The line was moving slowly because there weren't enough staff working at the booths, and they were taking too much time to help each person. Some of them had multiple family members accompanying them, which further slowed down the process. She said,
The situation was no different in Begumpet, where voters like Shashi Kanth expressed their frustration. “I reached the polling station early to avoid the rush, but even then, I had to wait for a long time. Senior citizens and their families seemed to be causing the delay,” he said.
Not all booths are in the same situation. When I talked to the people in charge at those booths, they said they are handling everything well, "We are aware of the long queues in certain polling stations and are working to resolve the matter. Additional staff will be deployed, and procedures will be streamlined to expedite the voting process, but sometimes it might take longer than usual,” said Asha Chaturvedi.
New voters, meanwhile, said they had special lines just for them to vote. Naga Rani, a student, said it was easy for her to vote because there was a separate line for new voters.
