Large-scale mismatch of voter details in electoral rolls and voter slips made the public register their protest at several polling booths in 54 division of Nellore Municipal Corporation where polling began belatedly in morning hours.
The voters demanded that the polling authorities postpone voting till the voter lists are set right. This led to mild tension as the municipal and election authorities arrived at the scene and facilitated the beginning of the polling process. The public alleged that 70 to 80 per cent of their names and photos were not matching with the details in the actual voter lists.
The erroneous voter details were reported in varying proportions in all the 54 divisions in the municipal corporation limits. The voter slips provided to the public were also not accepted by the polling agents even if there were small errors in details.
The day began with moderate voter turnout in the first two hours when just 10 per cent polling was recorded in many places. It slowly picked by 11 a.m. and brisk polling was witnessed around noon hours when voters formed queues at the polling stations.
The average polling recorded 22 per cent by 11 a.m. and it reached 50 per cent in some places by noon. The officials said that the polling percentage would increase in Nellore city when compared to the previous election.
The young voters turned up in large numbers and exercised their voting right. The district administration had taken up a special drive for enrollment of young voters from 18 to 24 years this time.
The Nellore district police has made elaborate bandobust arrangements in connection with the elections to the Nellore Municipal Corporation and six municipalities, which are Kavali, Gudur, Venkatagiri, Sullurupet, Naidupet and Atmakur. They deployed about 2,000 civil force, 350 armed police, 550 home guards, 1 company of RAF, 1 company of CRPF and 3 platoons of Special Police.
SP Navdeep Singh Grewal, additional SP Reddy Gangadhara Rao and Nellore Town DSP P. Venkatanadh Reddy monitored the bandobast for civic polls.
