Hyderabad|India|April'2009:
The first phase of the General Elections-2009 ended with lakhs of people
queuing up in city polling booths to vote a new government.The world's
largest democratic exercise began early at 7 a.m. and ended at most places
at 5 p.m on 16th April in Hyderabad.
As part of 1st phase General Elections, elections to 15 Assembly
Constituencies and 2 Parliament Constituencies of Hyderabad City were
held. The polling commenced at 7.00 a.m. at all 3,302 polling stations.
Initially the percentage of poll was about 10%. Later it gradually
increased and the final percentage of poll was in between 55% to 58%.
The city police had made elaborate bandobust arrangements by posting
pickets in several places and arranged vehicle mobile parties to ensure
free and fair polling and also to prevent untoward incidents. The special
striking forces have been deployed in sensitive and hyper sensitive /
troublesome places.
Total (17) Cases of various nature viz. assault, intimidation, petty
quarrel in between polling agents and supporters of various political
parties. Out of some 17 cases (6) pertain to Malakpet Assembly
Constituency, (3) Charminar Assembly Constituency, (2) Amberpet Assembly
Constituency, (1) Chandrayangutta Assembly Constituency, (1) Yakutpura
Assembly Constituency, (1) Goshamahal Assembly Constituency, (1) Nampally
Assembly Constituency, (1) Karwan Assembly Constituency, (1) Secunderabad
Assembly Constituency.
In Polling Booth No.90 situated at Jam Jam High School, Misrigunj (Bahadurpura
A/C), the polling commenced at 7.00 a.m. and 111 votes were polled upto
9.00 a.m. When the Presiding Officer Dr. G.B. Reddy, tried to note the
percentage of votes polled, noticed that only 2 votes were registered in
EVM instead of 111 votes. Then the Presiding Officer informed the
Returning Officer about the same. Later, the Control Units of both
Assembly and Parliamentary Constituencies were replaced.
There has been instances that many of the voters had to go back home
inspite of having voter id cards since their names were not in the list.
But voters braved it all day in the scorching heat to cast their vote.All
the shops & establishments were closed all thoughtout
the day in city in view of the elections. The city roads almost wore a deserted
look all through the day.
Chiranjeevi and his family members, TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao,
Vijayshanti, chief electoral officer Subba Rao, Director General of Police
A.K. Mohanty and several others cast their votes in Hyderabad.
Actor Jr NTR, who was seriously injured in a road accident, came to the
polling booth at St Anns High School at Mehdipatnam on a stretcher and
exercised his franchise for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
Hyderabad district recorded around 55% turnout.Overall in Andhra Pradesh, there was 60-65 per cent voter turnout.
The second phase of polls in AP which is on April 23 will cover 20 Lok Sabha and
150 assembly constituencies in south coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
Total
Votes polled in city area wise for General Elections-2009
Reachout's News Bureau
April' 2009
