Hyderabad: Tendered votes lead to repolling in 3 booths

Hyderabad: The State Election Commission (SEC) ordered re-polling in three polling booths after it was found that burkha-clad women in these polling stations had indulged in impersonation resulting in tendered votes.

The SEC had recently announced that in case of any incident of tender votes being polled, repolling in the entire booth will be taken up. Accordingly, repolling in three polling stations one each in Bodhan, Kamareddy and Mahbubnagar municipalities will be held on January 24.

According to the SEC authorities, the district Collectors of Nizamabad, Kamareddy and Mahbubnagar gave a report that tendered votes were registered in one polling booth in the three districts.

The Kamareddy district Collector informed the Commission that at polling station 101 of ward 41, one burkha clad woman submitted voter slip 440 with her voter ID at 7.45 am. The polling agent of one independent candidate verified her identity.

After all the polling agents gave approval the woman was allowed to vote. However, at around 4 pm, another woman with same voter slip came to vote. On verification of her identity, it came to notice that someone else had voted and she was allowed to cast tendered vote.

The Commission opined that there was impersonation and there was laxity in the identification of voter with photo electoral rolls and voter ID cards and the polling agents did not object to impersonation indicates either collusion among them or appointment of ineligible persons as polling agents.

Similarly, in polling booth 198 of ward 41 of Mahbubnagar municipality tendered votes cast by Muslim community women who came in last moment wearing burkha.

Though the polling staff requested the woman to unveil burkha, they argued and refused to do so stating that it was against their religious custom.

With a large number of voters waiting in queue in the last minute, they were allowed to cast vote merely based on documents presented in support of their identification.

Subsequently, when real voters presented themselves for voting, the polling officials issued them tendered votes.

In polling station 87 of ward 32 in Nizamabad district, a woman voter claimed to be Naseha Sultana wearing burkha with voter slip 639 came to vote at 10.45 am. The woman was allowed to be identified by Booth Level Officers instead of polling officer.

At around 1.45 pm another woman claiming to be Naseha Sultana came to cast her vote. Upon verification of identity, it was established that someone else had voted and she was allowed to cast tendered vote.

The Commission has decided to take up fresh poll in booth number 101 of Ward 41 of Kamareddy municipality, polling station 87 of ward 32 in Nizamabad municipality and polling booth 198 of ward 41 of Mahbubnagar municipality on January 24 from 7 am to 5 pm.

The voters would be applied indelible mark on middle finger of their left hand.