GHMC Elections 2016 Live: The much awaited Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections are here today and the city goes to cast their votes at various polling booths. After formation of Telangana state, this is the first time that GHMC elections are being held and therefore, it’s going to be the biggest battle for votes in Hyderabad. Nearly 75 lakh voters will decide the fate of over 1300 candidates in 150 wards.
Amid tight security, the polling for the crucial elections started at 7 am and will end at 5 pm. More than 25000 police personal have been deployed to ensure peaceful elections. Reports of deletion of names from voters’ list are trickling in from various polling booths. The voting percentage stood at close to 26 per cent by 1 PM.
The boycott of GHMC elections by nearly 1,400 voters of the Hasthinapuram Ward in the East Zone added a twist to the voting on Tuesday. The voters in the Roushan Dowla area’s polling booth assembled and raised slogans against GHMC officials demanding better civic amenities. Elsewhere in the city, the voting percentage was as low as 15 per cent at 11 a.m.
At a few polling booths in Kondapur where the EVMs malfunctioned, the ECIL officials rectified them, said GHMC poll officials.
Live Updates:
In Uppuguda, the vehicle in which TRS polling agent was moving about was attacked.
01.50 PM: In 1,250 polling stations across West Zone, 26 percent voting was recorded till 1 p.m.
1.40 PM: Very few voters are seen at polling station Nos. 50 to 58 at MP Government School in Madhapur.
1.30 PM: Charminar MLA Pasha Qadri and Puranapul Congress candidate Mohd Ghouse have been detained by the police in the Old City for creating disturbances in various polling booths.
01.01 PM: Only 200 votes out of 1,000 odd votes polled till now (1 pm) at Jubilee Hills Women’s Hotel polling booths
01.00 PM: Low turnout in GHMC polls at Mitti Ka Sher in Lalbazar area in Hyderabad old city.
12.40 PM: Polling stations wear deserted look post noon at Chaarkaman in Hyderabad’s old city.
12.11 PM: Actor Junior NTR after casting his vote at Obul Reddy School.
12.05 PM: One of the best turnout of voters: 29 per cent voting at CSI Institute of PG Studies in Monda Market Ward.
11.50 AM: Voters form long queues at Mallepally polling booth, while some others argued with police for not allowing them close to the booth.
11.20 AM: Actors Manchu Lakshmi and Manoj exercise their franchise at Film Nagar Cultural Centre polling booths
11 AM: Polling in Osmania University relatively higher averaging at 23 percent by 11 a.m.
10.54 AM: Former Mayor Banda Karthika votes at St Jude’s school in Tarnaka.
10.48 AM: Residents of a basthi in Hasthinapuram refuse to vote, stage dharna outside polling station.
10.44 AM: Voters in Kalyanpuri allege their votes removed from the list of GHMC Elections
10.40 AM: Polling percentage recorded in West Zone which includes IT companies zone is 8 percent till 10 AM
10.35 AM: Low voter turnout at Ashok Nagar polling station No.6 or Ward 89 even at 10.30 a.m.
10.27AM: Actors Nagarjuna, Amala, Balakrishna, Cast their votes at various polling stations in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills.
10.22 AM: City Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy casts his vote, goes round polling booths in Begumpet.
10.20 AM: Actor Allu Arjun arrives at Banjara Hills Police Station Polling Booth to cast his vote.
10.10 AM: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mehmood Ali votes Azampura.
10.06 AM: Voters flock to help desk set up by political parties for voter slips in Bahadurpura area.
10 AM: Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and his wife stepped into the ASCI College to cast their vote.
9.50 AM: BJP leader NVS Prabhakar and wife reach Ramananthapur polling both to cast their vote
9.35 AM: Telangana IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao cast his vote at Banjara Hills polling Station.
9.27 AM: Nara Lokesh and Brahmani cast their votes at BSNL Office booth in Jubilee Hills.
One of the earliest voters was GHMC Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy who cast his vote within minutes of the beginning of the polling process.