Polling ends for elections to 92 urban bodies in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati, Nov 1 (IANS) Polling for elections to 92 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Andhra Pradesh was peaceful, barring minor incidents, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said on Sunday.

The polling, which began at 7 a.m. in 13 Municipal Corporations and 79 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats, ended at 5 p.m.

Those standing in queues at 5 p.m. were allowed to cast their votes.

Based on preliminary information received from the districts, a voter turnout of 48.03% was recorded up to 3:00 p.m.

The polling staff will arrive at the reception centres with the ballot boxes and election materials. The details of votes cast at each polling station will be verified to calculate the final voter turnout percentage.

The turnout percentage will be announced by Monday, once complete details are received from the reception centres, he said.

As many as 99.35 lakh voters were eligible to cast their votes at 11,378 polling centres.

The fate of 10,262 candidates contesting for mayoral, chairperson and ward-level posts will be known on November 3 when the counting of votes will be taken up.

Elections for the posts of chairpersons of 17 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats were unanimous. Both chairpersons and ward members were elected unopposed in eight Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats.

A total of 153 candidates contested for mayor posts in 13 municipal corporations while 367 candidates were in the fray for the posts of chairpersons in 70 Municipalities.

Of the total 922 corporator wards, polling was held for 804 wards as the election was unanimous in the remaining 118 wards. A total of 3,077 candidates contested for 804 municipal wards.

A total of 6,669 candidates were in the fray for 2,382 wards in Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats.

The SEC said he conducted review meetings with District Collectors, Superintendents of Police (SPs), Police Commissioners, DIGs, and election observers to ensure a peaceful polling process.

The Commissioner stated that complaints and representations regarding the conduct of the elections had been received from representatives of various political parties in the state. He directed the police department, District Collectors, SPs, and Police Commissioners to look into these complaints and take necessary action.

The Commissioner stated that he held a discussion lasting approximately 45 minutes with the District Collectors of Nandyal, Kadapa, Palnadu, Markapuram, Prakasam, Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Anantapur, Kurnool, Annamayya, and Sri Satya Sai districts regarding the polling process, complaints received, and any incidents of violence.

He mentioned that the Collectors reported that polling was proceeding peacefully in the majority of the districts, with only minor complaints received in a few areas. He clarified that in some districts, no complaints or incidents of violence were reported at all.

Anil Chandra Punetha announced that in ward 55 of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, where polling began about two and a half hours late due to technical and other issues, the voting hours have been extended from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to ensure that voters have the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

He stated that this decision was made after considering a request from the District Collector and in accordance with the powers vested in the Election Commission.

The Commissioner noted that the District Collectors of Palnadu and Anantapur had brought certain incidents that occurred in their respective districts to his attention. It was stated that after the polling concludes, reports from the Presiding Officers (POs) and other evidence will be examined; if the complaints are found to be substantiated, further action will be taken in accordance with the regulations.

IG Raja Kumari stated that approximately 40 incidents were reported during the polling on Sunday, and 275 FIRs have been registered. She mentioned that all these incidents are being thoroughly examined, and FIRs are being filed in cases where criminal elements are identified.

–IANS

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