Elections to ward, sarpanch posts pass off peacefully

Kurnool/Nandyal: Elections to two sarpanches and 34 ward members in the undivided Kurnool (Nandyal and Kurnool) district are conducted peacefully on Saturday. The voting process at all places has completed without witnessing any untoward incidents also. However, mild tension prevailed at Gangulapadu village in Peddakadabur mandal of Mantralayam constituency in Kurnool district during declaration of winning candidate after counting of votes in the evening.

According to information, one Lakshmi, who contested on TDP ticket for ward member got 71 votes out of total 157 votes in the village. Her rival Mumtaz of YSRCP has won the ward member post with one vote margin. After the results were announced, the TDP cadres demanded recounting of votes. When the police tried to persuade them, the situation went out of control.

However, after some time the situation has been brought under control and the stage 2 election officer Suvarnala Suniyam has declared Mumtaz as winner and handed over the certificate. The TDP cadres returned with great dissatisfaction. Kurnool district panchayat officer Nagaraju Naidu said that elections to 15 ward members and one sarpanch post were conducted in the district. The voting has been conducted in a peaceful manner and around 6,986 voters have franchised their votes. The winning candidates have been declared by the election officers of the concerned area, stated the DPO.

In a similar manner, Nandyal DPO Manjula Vani said that election to 19 ward members and one sarpanch post was conducted on Saturday in Nandyal district. The voting process has gone on peacefully without witnessing any untoward incidents. The elected members have been given the certificates after declaring victory, stated the DPO.