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AP polls, hot sun take toll on percentage
Telangana poll percentage likely to cross just over 61 per cent
Hyderabad: Polling for 17 Lok Sabha segments ended peacefully in Telangana on Thursday. However, the polling percentage witnessed a considerable dip when compared to the overall polling figures from the previous Lok Sabha election in 2014.
Against polling percentage of 71 per cent seen five years ago, this time the polling percentage stood at 60.5 per cent as per initial figures. The final figures are expected only on April 12 afternoon and are likely to increase slightly.
Even in the assembly elections held in December, the overall polling percentage touched 73 per cent. Dip in voting in urban areas, especially segments in GHMC limits and Ranga Reddy districts including Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Malkajgiri and Chevella also affected the overall polling percentage in a big way.
The timing of the election in hot summer, a good number of people from Hyderabad going to Andhra Pradesh to exercise their vote there, reluctance on part of voters on Lok Sabha poll compared to the recent assembly elections etc. are also being cited as some of the factors by political pundits.
Polling was held from 7 am to 5 pm in 16 Parliamentary constituencies except for Nizamabad where the timings were modified from 8 am to 6 pm in view of a record number of candidates (185) in the fray.
A slow start was witnessed to the voting process with polling percentage registered in the first two hours (until 9 am) was just 10.6 per cent.
Voters slowly began to stream out of their homes in the next few hours because of which the percentage began to increase gradually. By 3 pm, voting percentage crossed 50 per cent in Adilabad, Peddapalle, Karimnagar, Zaheerabad, Nalgonda, Bhongir and Mahabubabad segments.
Riding on a statehood wave, the polling percentage in Telangana rose to 71 per cent in 2014 as compared to 67.71 per cent in the 2009 general elections. The polling percentage registered this time is less when compared to the last three elections.
The election in Nizamabad Lok Sabha, where a big number of 12 ballot units, one counting unit and one VVPAT was used in each polling booth, witnessed a drop in voter turn-out when compared to the last election.
Against 69.11 per cent polling registered in 2014, this time it was 54 per cent, as per data received till 5 pm. Polling would come to a close at 6 pm in this segment.
