Citizens who eagerly turned up to exercise their franchise in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections on Tuesday were in for rude shock as police personnel posted at barricades leading to polling stations informed them that phones and other belongings were not allowed into the polling stations. Even hand sanitisers were prohibited.
When people asked where they were supposed to deposit their phones, they were told there was no such provision. Police told them it was their own responsibility to take care of the phones.
“There was no prior information that phones will not be allowed into polling stations. We were allowed to carry it during the Telangana Assembly elections in 2018,” said an elector from the corporation limits.
A few people who had gone to vote alone did not have any other way but to go home, keep their phones and return to the polling station. Some kept their phones in their two-wheeler storage space. A few others who were accompanied by family members or others took turns to secure their phone, and cast vote.
“I went to polling station with my wife. When we were informed that phones are not allowed, my wife stood outside with my phone while I went in to vote. My wife then left her phone with me and went inside to cast her vote,” said A. Laxminarayana, who was at a polling booth in Jeedimetla.
At Suchitra, Quthbullapur, a few electors had to leave their bags/ backpacks with party workers outside the barricaded area. However, there were some who claimed that they carried their phones when they went in to cast vote.
