Accessibility Improved: Auxiliary polling stations for remote voters in Telangana

Among the 10 smallest polling stations (with less than 26 voters) in the State, seven are under Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha constituency, two in Mahabubabad constituency and one in Nalgonda constituency.

Hyderabad: The 10 Chenchus in Achampet under Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha constituency will no longer have to trek 20 kilometres to cast their vote.

The Achampet is setting up an auxiliary polling station for their convenience in a private building at Mallapur Penta. This is not an isolated case.

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There are nine other locations in the State where there are less than 26 voters per polling station and the Election Commission is setting up auxiliary polling stations to help them cast their vote without having to walk long distances. “The idea is to ensure every eligible voter cast his or her vote.

From our end, we want to make things convenient for them and set up polling stations in their vicinity,” Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj said.

Among the 10 smallest polling stations (with less than 26 voters) in the State, seven are under Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha constituency, two in Mahabubabad constituency and one in Nalgonda constituency.

The second smallest polling station with just 10 ST voters is being set up at Anganwadi Centre room 2, Budidagattu under Nalgonda constituency. These auxiliary polling stations are being set up in huts, forest base camps, mandal parishad primary schools and private buildings.

At the Narsimha Thanda under Nagarkurnool constituency, the auxiliary polling station is being set up in a hut, albeit with all basic amenities like drinking water or portable toilets for the 13 voters. At each station, there will be four polling personnel, police and volunteers.

At a few stations, there will be micro observers and web casting volunteers as well. Of the 35,356 polling stations, the Election Commission has permitted setting up of 452 auxiliary polling stations in the State.

There are two parameters like distance and number of voters that are considered for setting up these stations. In case, the distance from a polling station is exceeding more than two km or if the number of voters are more than 1500 in a station, then an auxiliary station is set up for the convenience of voters