Hyderabad: Union minister K. Chiranjeevi faced considerable embarrassment when he was stopped by a voter from jumping the queue at a polling booth at the Jubilee Hills Club on Wednesday.
Instead of waiting for their turn, Mr Chiranjeevi, accompanied by wife Surekha, son Ram Charan and daughter Sushmita, tried to enter the voting booth straightaway.
A voter, Mr Kartikeya, objected and requested Mr Chiranjeevi to stand in the queue for his turn. “Why do you need special treatment? Everyone is standing in queue for long. Please stand in the queue,” Mr Kartikeya said.
Taken aback, Mr Chiranjeevi explained with folded hands that he was not trying to jump the queue but was trying to find out whether this was his booth and whether his family was in the voters’ list.
Mr Kartikeya was not convinced and insisted the minister stand in the queue. Sensing trouble, Mr Chiranjeevi joined the queue.
Chiranjeevi dismisses queue jump
Mr Kartikeya, who stopped Union minister K. Chiranjeevi from jumping the queue at a polling booth located in Jubilee Hills Club on Wednesday, said, “I respect him as a VIP and politician. If he had gone alone I would not have objected. But he took his family along. That is wrong. He is not above 65, nor a disabled person. I requested him and his family to stand in the queue since all of us are waiting for long to cast our votes,” said Mr Kartikeya.
Speaking on the incident, Mr Chiranjeevi said said, “I had no intention to jump the queue. I follow the rule of law. I did not violate it. I went in the queue. Please don’t distort the issue. I respect democracy,” he said.
