Polling in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in Telangana began on a brisk note in Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency on Monday morning. Even before 7 a.m., voters started queuing up outside polling booths. At the Zilla Parishad Boys High School in Old Alwal, all the four polling booths witnessed long queues. It was the same at the ZP Girls High School where long queues were found.
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Devakonda Rajeshwar Rao of a gated community in Old Alwal said there were several voters in the first hour itself. “I could see a change in the voting as more voters turned up at the booths compared to the last Assembly elections. Awareness to cast the vote could be the reason,” he pointed out.
Delay in issuing voter slips led to some confusion as several voters found it difficult to identify the polling booth. The agents of the various parties sitting outside the polling station too were of little help as they could not locate the serial number of several voters.
Many voters, who carried their mobiles with the details of the polling station were stopped by the police personnel. Many were seen pleading with the police personnel to allow them inside.
Ms. Sujata of Retreat Colony was stopped at the gate of the ZP Boys High School by the police when she tried to show her voter details on mobile. She had to wait for sometime till one of her acquaintance came to her rescue and volunteered to keep her mobile.
Once inside the booths, it was a smooth process with the voters taking less than two minutes to cast their vote. Voters were able to see the VVPAT to ensure that it reflected the party for which they had voted.
Gona Snehal Ronald, a first time voter from Old Alwal said he was excited to have voted for the first time. “I was a bit scared when I approached the polling officials. But once they identified my serial number, I was relaxed. It is a fantastic feeling to vote for the first time,” Snehal, who passed the Intermediate examination recently said.
