In order to improve polling percentage in the polling stations located at IT Hub, both the Election Commission and Cyberabad police have launched measurements to motivate techies (commonly called during elections as Lazy Techies) who are regularly irregular in casting their votes.

As per the statistics of the website of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the polling percentage is not exceeded 32% in the polling stations that existed in techie colonies. As many as 4 lakh techies and their families are residing in Kondapur, Madhapur, Gachibowli, Manikonda, Puppalaguda, Miyapur, Kukatpally and Serilingampally surrounding areas under the jurisdiction of Serilingampally, Kukatpally and Rajendranagar assembly segments. But, only 38 per cent of software professionals and their families utilized vote in the 2014 general elections. In GHMC elections, which were held in 2016, the percentage of techie voters was recorded as 44% which is very poor among other divisions in the city.

To overcome such situation in Telangana Assembly polls, the EC and Cyberabad police are planning to motivate techies for casting their vote as well as requesting CEOs and heads of the software and Multi-National Companies. The election administrations’ concern is on the serial holidays – Friday (Poll Day) and weekend (Saturday and Sunday) – and requesting by holding meetings with company heads to assign some work to the techies on poll day.

The Commissioner of Police (Cyberabad) Mr. Vishwanatha Chennappa Sajjanar has taken the responsibility on motivating techies and frequently organising meetings with them. The CP told media that this time at least 80 per cent of techies would take part in the polling.

G.Ravikiran