Telangana assembly elections: Voting picks up after initial hiccups

HYDERABAD: Though the voting was delayed for more than half-an-hour to an hour across several polling stations in Telangana including in Hyderabad, it picked up the pace later. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar told TOI that 310 ballot units and 281 control units of EVMs and 469 VVPATs are replaced across the state as they were dysfunctional.
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So far, 10.38 per cent of votes have been polled across Telangana with highest voting reported from Jagityal at 12 per cent and lowest from Nagarkurnool at 6.7 per cent.
In a polling station in booth number 32 and 33 in Kapra, voting started at around 8.00 am as the polling staff found it difficult to connect EVMs to VVPATs and there were errors in control units and ballot units.
Similar situation was seen in areas like Vijaya School in Kapra of Uppal constituency and St John's College grounds in East Marredpally in Secunderabad.
Presiding officers told TOI that they have called up experts of BEL and took guidance on phone to connect the systems.
Mock polling also started late in the city of Hyderabad.
"I have received commencement reports from all 119 constituencies. There were some issues, mostly human errors. I have received 46 complaints before 7.00 am regarding VVPAT issues. As the staff are least exposed to the technology, the process got delayed at some places. In some places, mock polling was completed by 7.40 am. So far poll process is satisfactory and law and order situation is totally under control. There are no instances of intimidation of voters," said CEO Rajat Kumar said.