Hyderabad: Elders, first-time voters make their presence felt

Hyderabad: Although GHMC witnessed a low voter turnout, there was no lack of enthusiasm among elders and first-time voters on Tuesday.

M Prasad Rao (67), a retired government employee, from Tarnaka division came to vote not bothering about walking difficulties he had for three years due to Filariasis. As the queue was small, he could complete voting formalities in just under 5 minutes. Rao said he did not skip a single election during his lifetime after attaining the voting right and it was one of the reasons for elders like him not to miss voting in GHMC polls.

Another senior citizen Sri Ramachandra Murthy exercised his vote in Prof Jayashankar stadium in Lalapet that comes under Tarnaka division. He went inside the polling booth around 11.30 am when there was no literally anyone in the queue.

Murthy said that the public got vexed up with ruling parties and public representatives attitude these days and hence did not bother to turn up for voting.

Government High School for Boys and Girls in Sitaphalmandi division presented a different picture. Here there was a decent crowd since polling began. Cops stationed at the station said that there was continuous flow of voters although there were no big queues.

Sai Baba, a private trader came along with his young child, and another family member Bhavani, to cast their vote.

Sai Kumar and his parents from West Maredpally had a different experience on Tuesday. Although all stay in the same house and address their names were listed in polling booths in different venues. All three of them exercised their vote one after the other and posed for a group picture for this paper.

69-year-old Ahalya came to vote in Goshamahal division. When asked about the Corona threat, the retired teacher said that voting was her right and she exercised her right provided by the Constitution.

Md. Abbas Ali, a 75-year-old veteran said that he had come to vote because the candidate was his neighbour. "I cast my vote every time... my son brings me to the polling booth. This time I have come in spite of the Corona fear only because the candidate is my neighbour," said Abbas Ali.

Duggyala Vijalakshmi, 75, came to vote in a wheelchair. She is a housewife and has been exercising her franchise in every election. She says that vote was a right of every citizen and they should utilise so that they can question the governments later.

First-time voters also queued up to exercise their voting franchise in various divisons on Tuesday. Himabindu, Shruti (in AV College polling station), Priya, Santoshi (in Malkajgiri division), Shreya in Cherlapally division were ecstatic to get a chance to vote in GHMC polls.