Hyderabad: As of 3 pm 51.89% voter turnout was recorded in Telangana assembly elections, a significantly low voter turnout has been observed in Old City (29.83%) when compared to the 2018 elections.
In various areas of Old City, polling commenced after 7:30 am as voters showed reluctance to turn up early. At 11 am, Telangana witnessed a polling percentage of 20.64% and 12.39% in Hyderabad. At 1 pm, Telangana and Hyderabad recorded a 36.68% and 31.17 voter turnout respectively.
Despite enforcing Section 144 of CrPC, candidates in many parts of Old City moved around with small crowds during the polling process.
A party worker overseeing 10 polling booths in the Charminar constituency expressed concerns, stating, “People have lost interest in all the party candidates. They informed me that they don’t want to come out and vote, as pressing NOTA won’t make much of a difference.” This shift in voter sentiment is reflected in the usual practice of party workers arranging for people to come to the polling booths.
Another common sight was people returning from polling stations after discovering their names were missing from the final rolls, further contributing to the subdued atmosphere in Old City during this election.
Meanwhile, following low voter turnout, city police appealed to citizens to exercise their voting rights.
