Vijayawada sees 54.74% turnout in urban local body polls
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Voters waiting in a long queue outside a polling station in Singh Nagar during the municipal corporation elections in Vijayawada on Sunday. | Photo Credit: G.N. RAO
Vijayawada registered a weak turnout of 54.74% in polling to the Second Ordinary Elections to Urban Local Bodies until 8 p.m. on Sunday.
According to information, polling was under way in the 55th division, comprising nine polling stations till 9 p.m. A huge rush was seen in the morning at these stations due to the delay caused by a printing error in allotment of party symbols to two candidates. After the error was rectified, polling began at 9 a.m., two hours later than the scheduled time of 7 a.m. Except for the 55th division, polling hours ended at around 5 p.m. at all other 85 divisions in the city.
The voter turnout this time is lower than the votes polled in the previous local body elections, held in March, 2021. Back then, out of 7,81,883 voters in the city, 4,91,648 cast their votes, clocking a turnout of 62.87%.
This time, both the number of voters and divisions has increased. The city has 8,05,797 voters and 86 wards. Out of these, 4,41,069 cast their votes, including 2,17,587 men and 2,23,407 women and 75 other voters.
As of information from the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, the average voting percentage in Circle I, comprising 28 wards and 2,57,555 voters, stood at 52.86%. In Circle II, with 29 wards, 1,59,782 votes were polled, clocking a turnout of 57.27% and in Circle III, 1,45,156 votes were polled, recording a turnout of 53.91% as of 8 p.m. on Sunday. In 55th ward, where polling continued till 9 p.m., the percentage stood 33.21% as of 8 p.m.
Municipal elections took place in 222 wards across four municipalities and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in the NTR disrtict on November 1. In Kondapalli, comprising 40 wards, the voting percentage touched 72..09%, in Jaggayyapeta, comprising 36 wards, the percentage stood at 72.92%, in Nandigama municipality, with 32 wards, the voting percentage touched 72.67% and in Tiruvuru, with 28 wards, the percentage was 73.81%.
In Krishna district, the Machilipatnam Municipal Corporation recorded a voter turnout of 70.83% as out of the total of 1,39,246 voters registered across 60 divisions, 98,627 voters exercised their right.
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