Peaceful polling in Hyderabad; 55 pc electorate cast votes

Barring a few sporadic incidents, polling in 15 assembly seats and two parliamentary constituencies in Hyderabad city that were held as part of first phase of general elections in Andhra Pradesh went off peacefully.
Police booked cases against contesting candidates of different parties on various allegations including for violating model code of conduct.
Voting was held in 3,446 polling stations from 7 AM to 6 PM and about 55 per cent of polling was reported in the city. The polling went off peacefully, except sporadic incidents reported in Goshamahal, Amberpet and Yakuthpura assembly constituencies, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said.

City police had made elaborate arrangements by deploying 18,000 personnel covering all sensitive and hyper sensitive polling stations and areas to ensure free and fair polling and also to prevent occurrence of any untoward incidents.
Contesting candidates Mumtaz Ahmed Khan of MIM and Majeedullah Khan alias Farhat Khan of MBT were taken into preventive custody, as they were moving in the Yakuthpura Assembly Constituency along with their followers (numbering 150-200) violating the Model Code of Conduct, the Hyderabad Police chief said.
Apart from this, two cases have been registered against Vikram Goud, son of contesting candidate Mukesh Goud of Congress from Goshamahal assembly seat, besides against V Hanumanth Rao, Contesting candidate of Congress from Amberpet assembly segment respectively on charge of assaulting the rival party workers.

Other four cases were reported: one against Venkat Rao, contesting candidate of YSRCP from Cantonment assembly seat for distributing pamphlets, another against Mohammed Amer, a resident of Gowlipura for casting bogus vote at polling booth No.116 at Deewan Devdi.
A case was also booked against Mujeedullah Khan, an MBT candidate contesting from Yakuthpura assembly seat for obstructing the voters at Chacha Auto Garage, at Bhavaninagar besides one registered against Gajjela Kantham, contesting candidate of Congress from Cantonment assembly segment for obstructing police from discharging their duties, police said.
"Overall the polling went off peacefully, due to constant vigil and good work done by security forces. We thank the people of Hyderabad city for maintain peace and calm during process," Anurag Sharma said.