Hyderabad: only one week for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, many flood victims fear they may not be able to cast their vote this time as they lost their voter ID cards and other documents in the floods.
he recent floods in Hyderabad in October not only damaged property, but also washed away important documents of the people such as voter ID cards, Aadhar cards, certificates and various other documents that could prove one’s identity
Victims of the Chhabra enclave in Tolichowki, one of the flood-affected areas, also expressed similar concerns. “The government has not given us new ID cards because they know we will not vote for them. They failed to help us during “. He added that if he could vote, he would choose NOTA (none of the above options).
All other civic issues, on the one hand, the catastrophic floods in the city are expected to have an immediate impact on the upcoming elections, as four million families were affected and their homes (or property) were damaged or destroyed.
during the floods a family of five brothers who lost their belonging said that they applied for a new identity card about two weeks ago but were waiting. In addition, a Mee seva employee from Tolichoki, who did not want to be named, said a new voter ID card may not be ready before the election date (December 1).
A 58years old woman from Al-Jubial Colony, she said that we are not interested in voting. we don’t need a corporate,”The candidates we voted for last time did not help us during the floods. So why should we vote again?
When asked, a State Election Commission (SEC) official said he had an alternative plan for flood victims in the run-up to the GHMC elections.
He said, “According to EC rules, 13 documents, including passports, driving licenses, ration cards, and ID cards issued by a government authority, can be used to replace voter ID cards for the purpose of casting votes. As acceptable.
In the month of October, several low lying areas like Tolichoki, Shaikpet, Hafiz Baba Nagar, Al-Jubail Colony, Ganga Nagar and Madina Colony were affected by severe floods (due to heavy rains). The houses were submerged in water more than 10 feet deep. Residents’ educational certificates, property, and other essential documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, and driving licenses have been lost or damaged.
The turnout in the last election was about 45 percent, according to the State Election Commission, but the official said the ongoing covid 19 epidemic could have an impact. In the GHMC area, 150 wards will go to the polls. In the last elections, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) won 99 seats, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen (AIMIM) won 44 seats, beating other opposition parties.
