As it happened: MIM-Cong. clash mars GHMC polls

There was a clash between Congress and MIM workers and the polling percentage crossed last time's 42.3 per cent in the the GHMC Elections on Tuesday.

February 02, 2016 09:00 am | Updated November 17, 2021 02:18 am IST - Hyderabad:

An ugly spat between MIM activists and Congress workers near Mir Chowk Police Station marred the otherwise incident-free polling for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Tuesday. At the time of end of voting for the GHMC election, police had to resort to cane charge to control the situation at Mir Chowk.

At 5 p.m., as people were still waiting in queues to exercise their franchise in many areas, the GHMC Commissioner announced that all the people in queue will be allowed to vote. The voting percentage improved compared to last elections for the GHMC when 42.3 per cnet was recorded. The final figure was yet to be finalised.

Live Updates:

4.35 p.m.: MIM supporters attack TSPCC Chief N.Uttam Kumar Reddy's convoy near Mir Chowk Police Station. Police rush in reinforcements to control situation.

4.15 p.m.: Police disperse Cong. & MIM supporters at Mir Chowk police station.

4.10 p.m.: With just an hour to go, GHMC looks at bettering last time's turnout. 42.56 per cent recorded until 4 p.m.

4.05 p.m.: MIM and Congress supporters clash near Mir Chowk police station. Police resort to lathi charge to control stone-pelting mobs

4.00 p.m.: Huge crowd outside Mir Chowk police station. Police prevent Telangana Congress workers from taking out a rally.

3.55 p.m.: Congress candidate Md. Ghouse released after intervention of Congress leader N. Uttam Kumar and Shabbir Ali from Mir Chowk Police Station.

3.45 p.m.: GHMC employees protest over not providing food and other amenities at EVM distribution, Storage centre in Domaguda AV College.

2.55 p.m.: Police command headquarters also gets live feed from polling stations across Hyderabad to keep a watch on law and order.

02.45 p.m.: Hindi cine actor Salman Khan's Voter ID found in Hyderabad with his photo.

02.20 p.m.: Political party stalls to guide voters and issue voters' slips are idle with very few voters coming in at Adikmet.

01.50 p.m.: In 1,250 polling stations across West Zone, 26 percent voting was recorded till 1 p.m. #GHMCElections

1.40 p.m.: Very few voters are seen at polling station Nos. 50 to 58 at MP Government School in Madhapur.

1.30 p.m.: Charminar MLA Ahmed Pasha Quadri also arrested.

1.25 p.m.: Three generations of voters coming out after casting votes in old city of Hyderabad on Tuesday. -Photo: Nagara Gopal,

1.20 p.m.: Puranapul Congress candidate Mohd. Ghouse arrested.

01.05 p.m.: Booth agents of political parties outside Polling Stn. Nos. 22, 23 at Govt. King's Women's Hostel in Jubilee Hills wait for voters.

01.01 p.m. : Only 200 votes out of 1,000 odd votes polled till now (1 p.m.) at Jubilee Hills Women's Hotel polling booths

01.00 p.m.: Low turnout in GHMC polls at Mitti Ka Sher in Lalbazar area in Hyderabad old city.

12.50 p.m.: A TRS Party worker using a laptop at Akbarbagh polling station for verification of voter slip s

12.40 p.m.: Polling stations wear deserted look post noon at Chaarkaman in Hyderabad's old city.

12.20 p.m.: Traditional Marwadi woman casted her vote at Begum bazaar polling station.

12.11 p.m.: Actor Junior NTR after casting his vote at Obul Reddy School.

12.10 p.m.: Party agents sit idle as not many voters seek their help at Gangaputra Colony in Musheerabad at Noon.

12.05 p.m.: One of the best turnout of voters: 29 per cent voting at CSI Institute of PG Studies in Monda Market Ward.

11.50 a.m.: Voters form long queues at Mallepally polling booth, while some others argued with police for not allowing them close to the booth.

11.20 a.m.: Actors Manchu Lakshmi and Manoj exercise their franchise at Film Nagar Cultural Centre polling booths

11.10 a.m.: High levels of pollution in Hyderabad despite empty roads due to holiday for GHMC Elections at 10.30 a.m..

11 a.m.: Polling in Osmania University relatively higher averaging at 23 percent by 11 a.m.

10.59 a.m.: People collect their voting slips in Ward number 86 at Musheerabad. GHMC officials say turnout of voters here has not been high since morning.

10.57 a.m.: Residents of Padmarao Nagar collect their voting slips in large numbers outside SP College

10.54 a.m.: Former Mayor Banda Karthika votes at St Jude's school in Tarnaka.

10.52 a.m.: Majority of IT companies functioning in and around Hi-Tec city.

10.50 a.m.: Hastinapuram residents want Collector to promise better civic conditions. #GHMCElections

10.48 a.m.: Residents of a basthi in Hasthinapuram refuse to vote, stage dharna outside polling station.

10.44 a.m.: Voters in Kalyanpuri allege their votes removed from the list #GHMCElections

10.40 a.m.: Polling percentage recorded in West Zone which includes IT companies zone is 8 percent till 10 a.m.

10.35 a.m.: Low voter turnout at Ashok Nagar polling station No.6 or Ward 89 even at 10.30 a.m.

10.27 a.m.: Cine actor Nagarjuna and wife Amala cast vote in elections.

10.22 a.m.: City Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy casts his vote, goes round polling booths in Begumpet.

10.20 a.m.: Actor Allu Arjun arrives at Banjara Hills Police Station Polling Booth to cast his vote.

10.18 a.m.: Actors Nagarjuna, Amala, Balakrishna, IT minister KT Rama Rao and Nara Lokesh Cast their votes at various polling stations in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills.

10.15 a.m.: Polling percentage likely to increase this time going by the enthusiasm shown by people: Commissioner

10.13 a.m.: Problem reported in seven locations in Voting machines and they were rectified by ECIL staff, says Commissioner B. Janardhana Reddy.

10.10 a.m.: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mehmood Ali votes Azampura.

10.06 a.m.: Voters flock to help desk set up by political parties for voter slips in Bahadurpura area.

10.00 a.m.: Voting in progress at slow pace at ESIC polling booth, in Adarsh Nagar

9.50 a.m.: Bharatiya Janata Party leader NVS Prabhakar and wife reach Ramananthapur polling both to cast vote #GHMCElections

9.35 a.m.:>Telangana IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao cast his vote at Banjara Hills polling Station.

9.34 a.m.: Voters at Roshan Daula boycott GHMC Elections protesting against officials' apathy towards their colony.

9.27 a.m.: Nara Lokesh and Brahmani cast their votes at BSNL Office booth in Jubilee Hills.

9.15 a.m. : Polling at slow pace in #GHMCElections records 9.79 per cent turnout up to 9 a.m.

Map showing different wards of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

In the elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation the polling percentage at 4 p.m., stood close at 42.56 per cent. Police stepped up vigil and reinforcements were rushed to the old city wards where tempers were running high due to tough competition among the contestants on Tuesday.

Additional forces have been rushed to Puranapul, Ghansibazaar, Shahalibanda, Azampura and Jangammet which are witnessing close contest and there are reports of efforts to bring in bogus voters.

As voting gathered momentum, stray incidents of arguments and intimidation of voters are pouring in.

Police have registered a complaint against some unknown persons for assaulting Mubasshir Qurram, a journalist, at Chatta Bazar area near Madina. The Mir Chowk police have registered a complaint.

Earlier, Charminar MLA Pasha Qadri and Puranapul Congress candidate Mohd Ghouse were detained by the police in the Old City for creating disturbances in various polling booths. In Uppuguda, the vehicle in which TRS polling agent was moving about was attacked.

As voting gathered momentum, stray incidents of arguments and intimidation of voters are coming in.

Reports of deletion of names from voters' list are trickling in from various polling booths. Ironically, many of the complainants said they had voted only two years back and when they went back to the same polling booth, after a fruitless online search, they could not find their names. At 1 pm, 25.83 per cent votes had been cast.

The boycott of GHMC elections by nearly 1,400 voters of the Hasthinapuram Ward in the East Zone added a twist to the voting on Tuesday. The voters in the polling booth in Roushan Dowla area assembled and raised slogans against GHMC officials demanding better civic amenities. Elsewhere in the city, the voting percentage was as low as 15 per cent at 11 a.m.

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and his wife stepped into the ASCI College to cast their vote at 10 a.m. One of the earliest voters was GHMC Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy who cast his vote within minutes of the beginning of the polling process. At a few polling booths in Kondapur where the EVMs malfunctioned, the ECIL officials rectified them, said GHMC poll officials.

Voting for the >Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections began on a dull, but peaceful note.

There were more policemen on the streets than voters in many parts of the city. In the Old City, where polling is usually brisk, very few voters trooped into the polling booths on Tuesday in the first hour of voting.

In Jangammet ward's St Joseph's School polling booth, only 11 votes were recorded in the first hour. However, at Novodaya Community Hall polling booth in Gudimalkapur, voting was brisk.

At a few polling booths in Kondapur where the EVMs malfunctioned, ECIL officials rectified them, said GHMC poll officials. Police officials are videographing all violations including opening of shops in the 100-metre radius of polling booths.

At Alwal Geetanjali School polling booth very few voters were seen and even those coming, were sent back by the polling officials to get the voting slips, despite having the identity cards.

At Vengala Rao Nagar (Ward No.99) polling was brisk from 7.30 a.m. and some candidates mades rounds of the polling booths. Police were stationed in large numbers.

Meanwhile, some students of Sanmskruti Engineering College, Ghatkesar were drafted by the GHMC for election duty to guide voters. The students enthusiastically set out on their duty of guiding the elderly voters to the right booth so that they save time.

Live feed of GHMC elections is being contributed by : Ravikanth Reddy, Rohit PS, Asif Yar Khan, Serish Nanisetti, Marri Ramu, Rahul Devulapalli, Yunus Y Lasania and photographs by Md. Yousuf, KVS Giri, Nagara Gopal and G. Ramakrishna

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