70% VOTERS CAST VOTE IN STATE’S MUNICIPAL POLLS

Polling for Warangal and Khammam Municipal Corporations and five other local bodies of Telangana State ended on a relatively peaceful note amid a few stray incidents.

Overall, an average 70 percent polling percentage has been reported in all urban local bodies (ULBs).

On the directions of Telangana High Court, State Election Commission (SEC) had taken various measures to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 guidelines during polling.

Fighting scorching temperatures in the summer heat, voters turned up at polling booths right since the morning to cast their votes in Greater Warangal and Khammam municipal corporations and five municipalities — Siddipet, Jedcherla, Atchampet, Kothur and Nakrekal.

● POLLING BEGAN at 7 am across all ULBs where officials made arrangements to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol.

Polling was also held for byelections in four wards of four municipalities and one ward in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

As polling concluded, voter turnout had been 54.74 percent in Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation, 57.91 percent in Khammam Municipal Corporation, 67.18 percent in Siddipet municipality, 68 percent in Achampet, 66.60 in Jedcherla, 84.42 in Kothur , 86.65 in Nekrekal and 27.62 in Lingojiguda Division of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

Polling began at 7 a. m. across all ULBs, where officials ensured strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol, such as masking and physical distancing. Sanitisers had been made available at entry points of polling stations. Sanitisation of polling booths, use of Arogyasethu app by all those involved in conducting elections, and distribution of kits containing one mask, sanitiser and face shield to every polling official were among the other guidelines followed.

A total of 11,59,112 voters including 5,84,963 women had been eligible to cast their votes in these elections. As many as 1,307 candidates, 480 of them independents, had been in fray in two corporations and five municipalities. Poll authorities set up 1,539 polling stations and deployed 9,809 polling personnel for smooth conduct of elections.

Stray incidents of clashes between ruling TRS and opposition parties had been reported in Greater Warangal and Khammam municipal corporations. However, police intervened and brought the situation under control.

State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarathi monitored the polling process from Hyderabad.