Polling peaceful in Vizianagaram district

Vizianagaram: The municipal polls in Vizianagaram district concluded on Wednesday in a peaceful manner and 68.64 per cent polling was recorded.

Vizianagaram city has faced election for the first time after it was elevated to the status of a municipal corporation from municipality and 1,28,349 voters cast their votes out of total 1,98,971 voters. A polling percentage of 64.51 was registered.

The voting percentage in Parvathipuram is 74.43, Bobbili 74.59 and Salur 73.10. Nellimarla Nagara Panchayat recorded a voter turnout of 79.75 per cent. No untoward incident was reported in the district as the police have made elaborate security arrangements.

Collector M Hari Jawaharlal and SP B Rajakumari spoke to staff at various polling centres and even visited command control room to monitor the process of polling.

The police staff has helped the physically challenged and age voters to reach the polling centre and exercise their franchise. Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Botcha Satyanarayana cast his vote along with his family members at MR College and senior TDP leader P Ashok Gajapathi exercised his franchise at Gurajada School at Vuda Colony.

Election observer Kantilal Dande monitored the polling process at Nellimarla and Vizianagaram. He observed the poling process through webcasting at the command control room at Vizianagaram.

Some voters were disappointed as their votes were transferred from one booth to another booth. At some places, the voters were shocked when their names were not found in the list. As a result, the polling percentage in the municipal polls has gone down when compared to village panchayat polls.