Counting of votes begin for first phase of Panchayat polls

Hyderabad, July 23 : Barring a few incidents of minor violence, polling for the first phase of Panchayat elections across the Andhra Pradesh concluded peacefully on Tuesday.

Thousands of voters thronged the polling booths to cast their votes in 5,892 Gram Panchayats spread across 22 districts. While 115,703 candidates are in the fray for 49,729 Ward Members post, nearly 18,377 candidates are in the contest for Sarpanch post. Elections in 11 Panchayats have been postponed to July 31 due to heavy rains.

The elections were originally scheduled for 6,140 gram panchayats in the first phase but due to heavy rains and floods, polling in 237 panchayats in six districts were postponed. Polls in these panchayats will be held July 31, in the third phase. So far as many as 2,642 sarpanches have been declared unanimously elected.

The polling, which began at 7 AM concluded at 1 PM. The officials have begun the counting of votes at 2 PM and the results of both Sarpanch and Ward Members’ posts are likely to be announced by Tuesday evening. INN