The first phase of panchayat elections in erstwhile Medak district was held peacefully without any incidents and about 83 per cent polling was registered at the end of polling by 1 p.m.
At several villages the polling commenced early in the morning and voters formed in long queues to cast their vote. Even elderly persons came with assistance and on wheel chairs. Police made elaborate security arrangements to see that no untoward incident takes place. They ensured that there must not be large gathering near polling booths.
In Sangareddy district the polling registered was 88.93 per cent. Sadashivapet mandal registered highest poll percentage of 92.89 and the lowest number of votes was polled at Ameenpur, with 80.6 per cent.
Siddipet registered 90.2 per cent polling with Komaravelli registering 95.90 per cent polling.
At places like Kandi and Malkapur where the number of voters was high the rush was visible, whereas villages with less number of voters witnessed relatively less rush. Collector M. Hanumantha Rao, Joint Collector Nikhila and Superintendent of Police S. Chandrasekhar Reddy visited some of the polling booths and observed the polling.
At Siddipet Commissioner of Police D. Davis Joyal visited some of the polling stations and examined the security arrangements.
Women outnumber men
Women voters outnumbered the men voters in exercising their franchise at various villages during the first phase of gram panchayat elections which went off peacefully without any untoward incident in the district on Monday.
In the first phase, the elections were conducted in the villages of Karimnagar rural, Gangadhara, Ramadugu, Kothapalli and Choppadandi mandals. Incidentally, there was 84.22 per cent of polling in the first phase. Against a total of 1,60,162 votes, 1,34,893 votes were polled in the mandals.
Similarly, in Rajanna-Sircilla district also women outnumbered the men and there was 82.60 per cent voting in the district. The elections were conducted in Rudrangi, Boinpalli, Chandurthi, Vemulawada and Vemulawada Rural mandals. Against a total of 91,576 voters in all the villages of five mandals, a total of 75, 640 voters exercised their franchise.
A total of 41,546 women voters had exercised their franchise when compared to only 34,094 men voters in the district.
Ends by noon
Polling in the first phase of Gram Panchayat elections for 141 sarpanch posts in Armoor revenue division and 133 posts in Kamareddy division went off peacefully without a single incident of violence and counting of votes which started at 2 p.m. has been on.
Over 78.50 per cent votes were polled in Armoor division while it was 81.29 per cent in Kamareddy.
Out of 177 sarpanch posts in Armoor 36 were elected unanimously and 31 as against 164 elected unopposed in Kamareddy. Voters in over 1,600 polling stations in the undivided old district cast their votes. The polling which began at 7 a.m. continued on a brisk note till the end.
In some gram panchayats the polling came to an end even before 12 noon.
Commissioner of Police Kartikeya in Armoor division and Superintendent of Police N. Swetha in Kamareddy personally supervised the bandobust arrangements.
Peaceful process
The Gram Panchayat elections across five districts were held peacefully and counting was still on when the last reports coming in.
Warangal comprises five districts – Warangal Urban, Warangal Rural, Jangaon, Mahabubabad and Bhupalpally. On Monday, as many as 608 of the total 608 villages went for polls and election was held in 2,872 wards out of 4,102 wards. The election was declared unanimous in 138 panchayats.
The turnout of people was low in the early hours owing to thick fog and cool wind in many rural parts of the districts.
There was a minor clash between two groups in Chinkunta village in Chityal mandal of Bhupalpally. However the police prevailed over and brought the situation under control.