Voter turnout records at 27.62 per cent in Lingojiguda by-poll

 The by-election in the Lingojiguda ward of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was concluded peacefully here on Friday. The voter turnout was pegged at 27.62 per cent.

According to officials, 13,591 people cast their vote in the 57 polling stations set up in the ward. The turnout of 27.62 per cent was against the 48.83 per cent recorded when the GHMC elections were held in December last year.

While the polling booths wore a deserted look in the morning, the footfall increased as the day passed. The polling percentage which stood at 5.6 per cent by 9 am increased to 12.53 per cent by 11am. As the polling progressed, the percentage increased to 22.37 per cent by 3 pm with 27.62 per cent being recorded when polling ended at 5pm.

Officials deployed on election duty said



all the Covid-19 norms were followed during the polling process.

“We have followed all Covid-19 guidelines and election norms,” a GHMC official said, adding that after the polling, the ballot boxes were taken to the Victoria Memorial Home School, Kothapet which is the Distribution, Reception and Counting (DRC) centre.

“The ballot boxes will be kept in the DRC centre under tight security. The counting will start on May 3 and the results will be announced the same day,” a GHMC official said.

The by-poll was necessitated following the demise of Lingojiguda corporator-elect Akula Ramesh Goud, who had contested on behalf of the BJP in the December 2020 elections. The TRS had decided not to contest the by-poll on humanitarian grounds.