BHONGIR: Seventy plus, she cannot even walk. She can only move on her hands because she has no legs down from the knees. But for the past three decades, she has never missed an election and cast her ballot in Ward 3 of this municipality.

"I have regularly cast my vote for different political parties on different occasions. But no one has helped me at all. I find it very difficult managing two square meals a day," said Neela Rajamani coming out of the polling booth on Saturday.

Age no bar

Eighty-six-year-old Pentamma is yet another citizen who would never miss an election. Unable to move an inch on her own, she ordered her two grandsons to take her to the polling booth in Ward 7. And when an EVM stumped her, she promptly asked the Returning Officer to call her grandson.

Poor turnout

There was no trouble whatsoever anywhere in Bhongir. In Ward 20, people spoke very guardedly about the involvement of a former naxalite in getting his `candidate' elected unanimously. In most places, voting was peaceful. Until afternoon, voting per hour was about three to four per cent of the total number of votes.

Former Minister and Bhongir MLA Uma Madhava Reddy, complained that officials were partisan and openly asked people to vote for the `Hand' symbol. "Anyway, the Congress could not stop me from winning. We will definitely bag this municipality if polling is free and fair," she told The Hindu .

Vehicles checked

The police took no chances. They posted pickets at both the entrance and exits of the municipality, with SLR-toting men flagging down and checking vehicles thoroughly. "We did our job," said Superintendent of Police of Nalgonda district Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat.

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