Polling ends peacefully across Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu districts
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Palnadu district SP A. Jagdish inspecting a polling booth at Sattenapalli on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Municipal elections in Guntur, Bapatla and Palnadu districts concluded largely peacefully on Sunday. Election authorities said some complaints were received in Palnadu and Bapatla districts, but the issues were promptly addressed. District Collectors inspected polling stations and reviewed arrangements to ensure smooth voting.
In Guntur district, the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC), with 76 wards, 596 polling booths and 6,18,714 voters, recorded 3,18,009 votes, a turnout of 51.40%, by 5 p.m. Tenali Municipality, comprising 52 wards and 185 polling stations, registered 88,764 votes from 1,57,089 voters, recording 56.51%.
District Collector and District Election Officer C.M. Saikanth Varma inspected polling arrangements in Guntur. He directed officials to assist voters through help desks and prioritise senior citizens, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those who were unwell. He also instructed staff to arrange tricycles for persons with disabilities when required.
In Bapatla district, Repalle Municipality recorded 25,776 votes from 37,008 voters across 44 polling stations, registering 69.65% turnout by 5 p.m. Chirala, with 88 polling stations and 69,557 voters, recorded 50,558 votes, or 72.69%. These included 24,247 male and 26,311 female voters. Bapatla District Collector Vinod Kumar V. said complaints received during polling were attended immediately and the elections concluded peacefully.
Palnadu district recorded its highest turnout in Sattenapalli at 76.17%, with 36,712 votes polled from 48,196 voters across 36 wards. Vinukonda, also with 36 wards, recorded 35,012 votes from 47,186 voters, a turnout of 74.20%. Macherla registered 31,145 votes from 46,520 voters, or 66.95%, across 36 wards. Chilakaluripeta, with 48 wards and 86,554 voters, recorded 56,606 votes, translating to 65.40%.
Palnadu District Collector Kritika Shukla inspected polling stations in Macherla and said polling was peaceful across the district, with good voter participation and essential facilities provided. She said webcasting was arranged at every polling station, while strong rooms were secured with CCTV cameras. Contesting candidates were also permitted to inspect strong rooms to address their concerns, ensuring transparency in the electoral process.
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