No repolling required as per initial reports: Rajat Kumar

Hyderabad: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar stated that repolling is not required as per initial reports received from the Returning Officers in all 17 constituencies. However, a final decision would be made after collecting final reports pertaining to poll adjournment, booth capturing etc from ROs, he added.

Addressing media at the Secretariat on Thursday, he said that overall polling percentage received until 5 pm was 60.5 and the final figure is expected to increase by some margin as polling in Nizamabad was set to continue till 6 pm.

As per figures received by the commission until 5 pm, the polling percentages seen in Adilabad (ST) was 66.76 percent, Peddapalli (SC)-59.24 per cent, Karimnagar-68, Nizamabad-54.2, Zaheerabad-67.8, Medak-68.6, Malkajgiri-42.75, Secunderabad-39.2, Hyderabad-39.49, Chevella-53.8, Mahbubnagar-64.99, Nagarkurnool (SC)-57.12, Nalgonda-66.11, Bhongir-68.25, Warangal (SC)-60, Mahabubabad-59.9 and Khammam-67.96.

Rajat Kumar said Election Commission faced a major challenge in the conduct of election in Nizamabad Lok Sabha segment. However, with the support of everyone they could conduct it successfully.

He said that a total of 64,512 Ballot Units, 34,635 Control Units and 34,770 VVPATs were used for elections in 17 segments out of which only 398 BUs (less than 0.62 percent), 313 CUs (0.9 percent) and 1,252 VVPATs (3.6 percent) were replaced due to technical issues.

These are small numbers considering the total figure, he stressed.

Citing incidents of violence and tension seen in other States, that also went to polls on April 11, he said that election exercise was held successfully in Telangana. "We have held the standards of Indian democracy very high," he added.

Rajat Kumar said that it was a hectic last three days for polling staff, officials and security in conducting of the polls.

He said by midnight, all the polling parties are expected to reach respective reception centres after which they would inform the ECI office in New Delhi marking the completion of poll without any hassles.

Commenting on total seizures made during the present Lok Sabha polls, he said that Rs 74.5 crore was seized including cash, liquor, drugs, metals and freebies.

Taking into account total seizures made during assembly polls, the CEO said that combined total seizures (Assembly and Lok Sabha) touched Rs 220 crore.

He said it was three times of the total seizures in 2014 elections, when Rs 76 crore worth of unaccounted cash and other material were seized.