AP Panchayat Elections: Big Wins For YSRCP In Phase-I

After much push and pull between the State Election Commission (SEC) and the Andhra Pradesh government, the Panchayat elections in the state have begun. The results of the election's first phase were announced today.

In what was a clean sweep for the ruling party, it won 2,319 seats while its primary rival, the TDP, had to make do with just 44 seats. Where the BJP and its allies secured a meagre 31 seats, independent candidates won a combined 56.

However, the results of two seats in the Anakapalli Mandal, and one each in Chodavaram and Kasimkot Mandals are yet to be announced.

Speaking on the matter, the SEC said that the first phase of the elections, held across 2,723 panchayats in AP, were conducted peacefully and saw a total voter turnout of 81.78%.

"Polling began at 6:30 am and went on till 3:30 pm. Ballot papers were used for the voting. Counting began at 4:00 pm. Krishna district recorded the highest turnout at 85.06%. Elections were also conducted for 20,157 ward member posts. Out of a total of 29,732 polling stations that have been set up, 3,458 were identified as sensitive and 3,594 hypersensitive," SEC officials said.

"As many as 7,506 candidates are contesting for sarpanch posts and 43,601 people are fighting for the posts of ward members," they added.

Meanwhile, TDP head Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the ruling party had committed several violations in the last twenty months of its rule.

"The state government has tried to destroy all the constitutional bodies in the state. It has also conducted a slander campaign against the TDP, and that is how it has won the first phase," he said.

The remaining three phases of the elections will also be conducted soon.