"Worst Day Of Life": Apollo Chief's Daughter Says Name Missing In Vote

On the first day of voting for the national election today, Apollo hospital's Shobana Kamineni said she felt cheated after she was told at a polling booth in Hyderabad that her vote had been deleted. "This is the worst day for me as an Indian citizen," said the top executive, who had returned to India from a foreign tour just to vote.

"I came back because I wanted to exercise my franchise. I came to the booth and I was told that my vote is deleted," said Shobana Kamineni, the daughter of Apollo hospitals chairman Prathap C Reddy and the sister-in-law of a Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha polls from Chevella.

Ms Kamineni said she had voted at the same booth in December, for the Telangana state election.

"Am I not counted in this country? Is my vote not important? This is a crime against me as a citizen and I will not tolerate it," she said.

Voting is being held in a single round for the 17 Lok Sabha seats of Telangana, including Hyderabad.

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, there have been complaints of technical glitches in electronic voting machines(EVMs) in about 50 places, according to the state's Chief Electoral Officer.

Hyderabad has been a stronghold of the AIMIM since 1984. The party's chief Asaduddin Owaisi is seeking re-election in this constituency.

Today, voting took place in 91 seats across 18 states and two Union territories. The last day of voting in the six-week polls is May 19 and the results will be declared on May 23.