All arrangements have been put in place to enable a total of 74.67 lakh voters in 150 divisions to exercise their franchise across 9,101 polling stations to elect their representatives for the civic body
The Distribution, Reception & Counting (DRC) Centres across the city bustled with hectic activity on Monday, where polling officials reported to collect ballot boxes and polling material. A total of 18,202 ballot boxes, escorted by the officials, have been dispatched to the respective polling booths through 2,671 specially arranged vehicles.
Here are the live updates:
Polling percentage stands at 35.8 in the evening.
Low voter turnout till 4 p.m.
Polling percentage remained at just about 30% even at 4 p.m., only two hours before the deadline.
While the polling has been largely uneventful unlike the Assembly polls in 2018 when complaints of missing voter names and faulty EVMs abounded, the number of voters has only been a trickle at the majority of the polling stations.
This time, the elections were conducted through the paper ballot, hence EVM malfunction was not a problem.
Polling percentage till 3 p.m. stands at 25.34%.
- Swathi Vadalamudi
SEC schedules re-polling for Old Malakpet ward, bans exit poll broadcast till Dec. 3
The State Election Commission (SEC) has scheduled re-polling for Old Malakpet ward (No.26) in GHMC for December 3. Polling will be held from 7 am. to 6 p.m. in all the 69 polling stations by replacing the Returning Officer too.
The SEC earlier cancelled the polling for Old Malakpet ward following printing of a wrong symbol against the name of CPI candidate in the ballot paper. Indelible ink would be applied on the left hand middle finger during the repoll.
With re-poll for one GHMC ward due, the SEC has also banned telecast/broadcast of exit polls till 6 p.m. on December 3.
- Chandrashekhar Bhalki
Poor turnout in Old city
Polling in wards of the Old City was slow in the first few hours in the morning with empty booths and voters entering in twos or threes, but as the day proceeded, the number of more electors started to trickle in.
A voter of Ward Number 32 Pathergatti voter Haseeb Samad, went to cast his vote early in the morning with his wife around 7.30 am. He was able to complete the process in less than five minutes.
Similarly, ward Number 30 Dabeerpura voter Mohammed Abdul Rafey, businessman and resident of Noor Khan Bazaar went to cast his vote at the Government Girls School, Chaaderghat, only a handful had cast their vote. "I went at 8.30 am to the polling station. I was the 15th to cast the vote. The turnout was very low," he said.
VIPs cast their votes
MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, showing ink-stained finger after casting her vote for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election, in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
As polling for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation picks up pace, several VIPs along with their families cast their votes.
Municipal Administration Minister and TRS working president K. T. Rama Rao was among the first to cast his vote. Mr. Rama Rao exercised his franchise at the polling station in Banjara Hills.
Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy accompanied by his wife cast his vote at the polling station in Kacheguda. The Minister exhorted voters to exercise their franchise as it was a constitutional right.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi cast his vote at the polling station at St. Faiz high school at Shastripuram.
Missing voter slips
In spite of GHMC/SEC claims of issuing voter slips to the electorate, several voters reaching polling stations complain of not receiving the slips in several polling stations in Moosapet and Kukatpally circles.
Complaints of missing votes found common in many polling stations. - B. Chandrashekar
State Election Commission cancels polling for the Old Malakpet ward of GHMC (No.26) following complaint by CPI of wrong symbol printed in the ballot paper. Formal order to be issued within half-an-hour. - B. Chandrashekar
BJP accuses TRS of influencing voters
BJP candidate displaying a voters slip with TRS symbol on it.
At Patancheru, BJP candidate alleged the TRS was trying to influence voters on the polling day.
In Bharati Nagar, BJP candidate Godavari Anji Reddy caught voter slips being distributed with car symbol. The symbol of car was exhibited on sanitizers kept in the polling booths, she alleged.
In Chaitanya Nagar, BJP and Congress cadres clashed. Police intervened and pacify them.
Polling in three divisions of GHMC in Patancheru constituency is otherwise peaceful so far. - R. Avadhani
Polling is stopped in Old Malakpet division, as there was mix up in symbols of CPI & CPI(M). Repolling is imminent, say officials - Swathi Vadalamudi
Police personnel at a Polling Station in Jeedimetla said phones or other belongings including hand sanitizer are not allowed into the polling station.
Many electors were seen going back to keep their phones in their homes. Those who came to the polling station with someone are taking turns to secure phones and cast vote.
Voting on a smooth note
Three generations of voters showing their inked fingers after exercising their franchise.
Voting for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Elections began on a smooth note in Golconda, Attapur, Rajendra Nagar, Tolichowki and Langar Houz wards at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
Largely, polling started at the scheduled hour, and voters began to arrive right since 7 am.
Voting was rather slow during the first hour, and instances of voters being denied entry despite showing identity proof documents were reported.
In the Golconda ward, as the distribution of voter slips was not completed, the representatives of the candidates had to step in to help voters. - Serish Nanisetti
Voters maintaining social distancing at AV College polling station, on December 01, 2020.
3.1% polling completed during the first two hours, informed GHMC officials.
Actor Chiranjeevi and his wife K. Surekha after casting their vote in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, in Hyderabad on December 1, 2020.
In the first hour of voting, actor Chiranjeevi and wife K. Surekha, Telangana Rashtra Samiti working president and Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao were seen casting their votes in Hyderabad.
As per the schedule, the polling staff are required to be present in the polling stations by 5.30 a.m., and the polling agents by 6 a.m. Between 6 a.m. and 6.15 a.m., mock polling would be conducted, and by 6.55 a.m., ballot boxes will be sealed. Starting at 7 a.m., the polling will be wound up by 6 p.m.
There would be special queue for COVID-19 patients to exercise franchise. Separate lines would be formed for the aged and the disabled too.
