AP Panchayat Elections 2021: 18 percent Polling registered in first two hours

The first phase of panchayat election polling has begun across the state on Tuesday with the voters flocking to the polling booths. According to the reports, about 18 per cent polling was recorded till 8.30 am. Voters lined up at polling stations while the State Election Officer Girija Shankar is supervising from the Command Control Center. On the other hand, web cameras have been set up at sensitive and hypersensitive polling stations.

Webcasting has been set up in about 7,000 centres and Girija Shankar is constantly monitored through webcasting. Polling has started at 6.30 am on Tuesday and will continue till 3.30 pm. The polls are being held in 12 districts except Vizinagaram. The authorities have made all arrangements for the elections and made Nota option available for the first time in this election. The counting of votes will take place immediately after the end of polling. Corona positive‌ victims will be given an hour-long opportunity at the end with PPE kits.

In the first phase, notifications were issued for the conduct of elections in 3,249 gram panchayats and the election was unanimous in 525 places. With no nominations filed for the Sarpanch post in Velicherla village in Nellore district, polling will be held for the remaining 2,723 Sarpanches and 20,160 wards.

A command control room has been set up in Vijayawada to monitor polling. The Sarpanch candidate was allotted a pink ballot and the ward candidate was allotted a white ballot. The election will be held for vice sarpanche post from 4 pm onwards after the counting of votes and the announcement of the results.