The usual hustle and bustle was missing on city roads on Wednesday, as all commercial activities came to a halt in connection with the high-voltage polling. Eateries remained closed, and roadside food vendors did not operate. Even tea and juice kiosks remained shut.
The lanes and by-lanes in Moghalrajpuram, Gandhinagar, Patamata and on the ever-busy M.G. Road, Besant Road, NTR Circle wore a deserted look. “It appeared as if people were voluntarily observing a bandh,” said K. Krishna Murthy, a senior citizen.
“We struggled really hard to breakfast. After an hour-long search, we managed to find a tiny food joint near Autonagar, from where we got a take away,” says Mr. Murthy. Movie-buffs were disappointed, as single-screen theatres did not operate. “We cancelled the first two shows to enable the staff to cast vote,” said Navarang theatre proprietor R.V. Bhupal Prasad.
Multiplexes and gaming centres, too, remained shut. Moreover, non-availability of cabs and RTC buses forced commuters to depend on ‘share’ autos in some areas.
However, by evening, some traders opened shops and vehicular traffic also gained momentum. Vijayawada Deputy Labour Commissioner N. Suryanarayana said owners of all commercial establishments had implemented the closure orders. “We issued orders to improve the voting percentage, and the response was good,” he added, stating that instructions were issued to petrol filling stations to resume services from afternoon to avoid inconvenience to motorists.
