EVM glitches, minor clashes mar Jubilee Hills bypoll
Polling in the Jubilee Hills by-election saw heavy turnout but was marred by EVM glitches at multiple booths, minor clashes, and allegations of political interference. Authorities resolved technical issues, and voting continues till 6 pm with results on November 14.
Hyderabad: Polling for the Jubilee Hills byelection witnessed heavy voter turnout on Tuesday since the polling commenced at 7 am. However, the day was marked by EVM glitches across mutiple polling booths, coupled with minor clashes and allegations of political interference. Voting is scheduled to continue till 6 pm.
EVM glitches were reported in 11 polling booths, including Borabanda, Rahmatnagar, Vengalrao Nagar, and Shaikpet, causing inconvenience to voters. Polling came to a halt at booth number 348 in Borabanda due to a technical snag, leaving voters waiting in long queues. Similar issues were reported in booths 165 and 166 in Rahmatnagar, while polling had not commenced for some time in booths 76 and 78 of Vengalrao Nagar division.
In Sheikhpet, voting began late after officials resolved a technical fault at booth number 30. District Election Officer RV Karnan, who inspected polling in Erragadda, said minor glitches were rectified at six centres and polling was proceeding smoothly thereafter.
BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha cast her vote at booth number 290 of the Sri Krishna Devaraya Welfare Centre in Yellareddyguda, urging citizens to exercise their franchise responsibly.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Baba Fasiuddin reportedly attacked a BRS activist at the Borabanda polling booth, flaring up tensions. He obstructed the BRS cadre from setting up a table to assist voters.
BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha condemned the attack and accused the police of siding with the ruling Congress, without ensuring free and fair polling. She urged the police to perform their duty and remain neutral to ensure a peaceful election. She warned that silence would no longer be an option if such attacks continued and appealed to voters to come out fearlessly and exercise their franchise.
Adding to the controversy, non-local Congress MLAs and MLCs were spotted near several polling centres. Government whip Beerla Ailaiah and Congress MLC Shankar Naik, accompanied by followers, was seen at the SDP Hotel in Rahmatnagar division, allegedly asserting his influence.
The BRS cadre caught a local Congress leader red-handed while trying to induce voters with cash near booth no. 205 at Jawaharnagar in Vengalarao Nagar. They handed him over to the election authorities.
Polling will continue till 6 pm, with 4,01,365 voters expected to cast their votes across 407 polling stations. The process is being monitored via webcasting and drone surveillance in 139 sensitive areas. Results will be declared on November 14.
