Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) has cancelled the polling for the Old Malakpet ward (No.26) in GHMC and scheduled the re-poll for December 3 following finding of a wrong election symbol printed against the name of CPI candidate contesting there.
According to the SEC officials, the proposer of the CPI candidate Firdous Fatima made a complaint to the Assistant Election authority and Deputy Commissioner of GHMC Circle-6 that symbol of the party candidate was not found in the ballot paper. On verification, the Election Authority and GHMC Commissioner and the General Observer for Circle-6 confirmed the discrepancy.
Instead of the CPI party symbol of “Ears of Corn & Sickle” the symbol that was printed on ballot paper was that of CPI (M) – “Hammer, Sickle & Star”. Based on the reports of the Election Authority and the General Observer the SEC has taken the decision to cancel the polling within three hours of its commencement. A total of six candidates are in the fray for the Old Malakpet ward.
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The SEC instructed the election authority to replace the Returning Officer of the ward and hold re-polling in all 69 polling stations from 7 am to 6 pm on December 3. During re-poll, indelible ink would be applied on the left hand middle finger of the voters, the SEC officials said. In view of the re-polling, the SEC extended the ban on telecast/broadcast of exit polls.
Missing votes
On the reports of a large number of missing votes, the SEC has clarified that of the 914 votes in polling station No.38 of the Ziaguda ward (No.62), 268 votes were in PS 38 and the remaining votes were transferred to PS Nos. 29, 30 and 31 located in the Vidyasri School
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