Telangana Elections: When members of family were allocated different polling booths

Hyderabad: On one hand the Election Commission (EC) is working on all fronts to make the voting process as efficient as possible so that the maximum number of voters can come to the polling booths and cast their vote on the day of the Telangana Assembly elections on November 30. On the other hand, a few inconveniences have surfaced such as members of the same family being allocated different poll booths, which can keep people away from voting due to the need to cover many booths in a day.

This shuffling and random allocation may play a spoilsport in encouraging voters from a family to come out and vote, especially in urban areas, where voting percentage hardly ever crosses 60 per cent.

Issues for the elderly

For instance, in a family residing in AS Rao Nagar under the Uppal Assembly Constituency, a couple and one of their sons were allocated a polling booth while their younger son was allocated to another booth a kilometre away.

“From our colony, all such single members from different families, who have been allocated a different booth are arranging transport for themselves and going together to cast their votes. This could be tough if those individuals are elderly since they might feel reluctant to go alone and vote,” said G Rao, a resident from the area.

Polling day is not a holiday

Farooq Hussain, a resident of Goshamahal Assembly Constituency, has been constantly raising awareness among voters to come out and vote instead of treating the polling day as a holiday.

“We did get complaints from some families, where the members were divided into two polling booths, though not more than a kilometre apart. We tried to provide them transport – a drop and pick up – so that they do not miss their votes. During the last elections, barely 20 per cent of votes were cast from our constituency. People want a change this time from the incumbent MLA. Unless the majority of the residents vote, the change cannot happen and people will suffer for the next five years,” said Farooq Hussain.

“Therefore, along with my friends, we are doing door to door voter awareness campaign in the early mornings and in the late evenings in Agapura and Subhanpura areas. We have interacted with around 300 people from 50 houses. Residents agreed to cast their votes. Local leaders and auto drivers were also roped in the initiative,” added Farooq.

Booth limit on voters separated families

When state chief electoral officer (CEO) Vikas Raj was asked about the random allocation of booths for members of the same families, he explained, “It is a legacy issue, where some family members have enrolled earlier and others, especially first-time voters or younger voters, have enrolled later or at the last moment. While enrolment not being done together is a cause, another practical consideration in a few cases was when the maximum capacity (1,550 electors in GHMC limits) of a polling station was reached, we accommodated the 1,551st voter to another booth and this voter might have family members who have been allocated a different booth. However, the polling officials in various districts have visited door to door and tried their best to allocate the same booth to all the family members or if that was somehow not possible, they were divided into two booths located nearest to each other.”