36.71 percent turn for polling in Visakhapatnam till 1 pm

Visakhapatnam: Serpentine queues were witnessed in polling booths in the first three hours of polling in Visakhapatnam district as diverse age groups headed to their respective polling booths to exercise their constitutional right.

Adequate precautions were taken by the general public in view of the soaring temperature. Many were armed with water bottles, soft drinks and tetra packs of lassi and buttermilk to keep themselves hydrated. New moms were also seen waiting patiently for their turn, carrying their little ones at the venues.

An average polling of 36.71 percent was recorded in Visakhapatnam district up to 1 p.m. While many one timers were seen taking selfies with their inked fingers, some returned home without exercising their franchise. "In spite of possessing a valid voter identity card, many could not find their names in the list like me. I came to the polling station at 7 a.m. and waited for almost two-and-a-half hours only to return home disappointed," rues K. Surya Kumari, a 70-year-old woman who came along with her son to vote.

Though the initial three hours witnessed heavy rush in the polling stations, the turnout gradually became low as the day progressed. Waiting for a longer time, technical glitches found in the EVM, delayed mock polling and humid weather condition, among other factors were attributed to the average turnout. "Like the previous elections, I thought I it would take less time to cast my vote. However, much to my surprise, I ended up waiting in the queue for a longer time than I intended to. Mock polling which was supposed to conclude by 7 a.m. started at that time," notices A.K. Balaji, managing director of Lalitha Motors, who revisited the SEPH office, Seethammadhara to exercise his franchise.

Several EVMs failed to work in various polling booths across the constituencies which resulted in many heading back to their homes without casting their votes.