Chenchu tribal voters exercise franchise in Telangana elections

The Nagarkurnool district administration established an auxiliary polling station for their convenience in a private building at Mallapur Penta for 10 Chenchus.

Hyderabad: At a time when many voters in urban areas did not turn up to cast their vote, members of Chenchu tribes and others in the remotest of villages and deep jungles exercised their franchise at different booths in Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda and Mahabubabad on Monday.

The Nagarkurnool district administration established an auxiliary polling station for their convenience in a private building at Mallapur Penta for 10 Chenchus.

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In the past, they had to trek long distances to cover 20 kilometres and cast their vote. Considering their plight, the district administration set up a polling station in their vicinity.

Like Mallapur Penta, at nine other locations there are less than 26 voters and election officials established polling stations for their convenience.

Sharing images of people exercising their franchise, Nagarkurnool Collector Uday Kumar on X said “Girijans casting their vote Mallapur Chenchupenta, Farahabad under Nallamalla forests in Nagarkurnool district.”

He also shared images of tribals casting their vote at Rayaletipenta in Nallamalla forests. Among the 10 smallest polling stations (with less than 26 voters) in the State, seven were under Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha constituency, two in Mahabubabad constituency and one in Nalgonda constituency.

These auxiliary polling stations were set up in huts, forest base camps, mandal parishad primary school and private buildings. At each station there were four polling personnel, police and volunteers. At a few stations, there were micro observers and web casting volunteers as well.