Hyderabad: Barring minor incidents, polling for the third phase of elections to Zilla Parishad (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) seats passed off peacefully on Tuesday. The election was notified for 161 ZPTCs and 1,738 MPTCs, of which three ZPTCs and 132 MPTCs had been declared elected unanimously.
Brisk polling was reported in all the 9494 polling stations and the overall polling percentage was 77.81 with 36.17 lakh voters of the total 46.49 lakh exercising their franchise. Counting for all three phases of the MPTC and ZPTC polls will be held on May 27.
Yadadri-Bhongir district registered maximum polling of 88.40 per cent followed closely by Khammam with 86.47 per cent.
Nalgonda witnessed 85.50 per cent polling.
Election officials ensured that those standing in queues at 5 pm were given slips so that they were not denied the opportunity to exercise their franchise. In all 6,467 have contested in the third phase of the election.
About 5,817 candidates were in the fray for the MPTC posts and close to 538 contested ZPTC seats from different parties as well as independents. About 1.47 lakh personnel including 54,000 police personnel have been deployed for conducting the polling.
Polling was delayed by two hours in Peddampeta in Hazipur Mandal as wrong ballot papers were issued in polling booth no 4. Surprisingly, 42 voters exercised their franchise in the same booth. Polling staff intervened and conducted polling after rectifying the issue. The State Election Commission said that it would initiate action against the polling staff for neglecting their duties.
