Third phase Parishad polls:2.13 lakh cast their votes

Khammam: the polling for the third phase of Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) ended peacefully in Khammam district on Tuesday. The third and final phase of elections were held in seven mandals i.e., Konijerla, Errupalem, Madhira, Wyra, Bonakal, Chinthakani and Raghunathapalem of the district.

The elections were held for seven ZPTC and 92 MPTC positions. A total 259 candidates contested for 92 MPTC positions and 30 candidates for seven ZPTC positions.

The polling process started on Tuesday morning at 7 and ended at 5 in the evening. Police officers were posted at the polling stations since Monday afternoon and took all steps to prevent any untoward incidents. The pace of polling was slow in the seven mandals in the morning hours with polling percentage recording at 10 per cent in the first three hours.

After 11 am, the polling percentage gradually increased. People showed enthusiasm in exercising their voting rights. They cast their votes braving the summer heat.

District officials were able to conduct the polling effectively in the 509 polling stations. There are 2,45,728 voters in the seven mandals, of which 1,20,861 are men, 1, 25,609 are women and three belong to third gender. When the polling was concluded, it was announced that 86.84 per cent voters, that is 2,13,137, have exercised their franchise. The mandal-wise break up of poll percentage: Bonakal 84.99 per cent, Chinthakani 86.68 per cent, Konijerla 87.79 per cent, Madhira 87.70 per cent, Raghunathapalem 89.73 per cent, Wyra 85.14 per cent and Errupalem 83.10 per cent.

Meanwhile, the police officials made tight security arrangements at the polling stations deploying sufficient number of police personnel at every polling station to prevent untoward incidents and to see the polling is held in a peaceful atmosphere.

Commissioner of Police Tafseer Iqbal along with Deputy Commissioner of Police Muralidhar inspected the problematic polling stations at V Venkatayapalem, Vepakuntla, Chinthagurthi villages in Raghunadhapalem mandal and Vandhanam, Kodhumuru, Chinthakani, Nagulavancha, Manchukonda and Thanikella villages of Chinthakani mandal.