22-year-old Wins Sarpanch Election in Mahbubabad District
In Mulugu district, Adivasi residents of Penugolu village trekked 17 km through hills and forest terrain to reach polling stations in Wazedu mandal, underscoring their commitment to the democratic process.
Warangal: The third phase of the gram panchayat elections in the erstwhile Warangal district concluded on Wednesday, marked by key political victories, notable displays of civic commitment and a few unusual incidents at polling centres.
The day’s highlights included a significant win for the Congress leadership in Hanamkonda district and the election of a 22-year-old as sarpanch in Mahbubabad district.
In Hanamkonda, District Congress Committee (DCC) president and Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (Kuda) chairman Enagala Venkatram Reddy demonstrated his local influence as the Congress-backed candidate, Parvathagiri Maheshwari, won the sarpanch post in his native village of Atmakur with a decisive majority of 378 votes. The victory is being viewed as a morale booster for the Congress cadre across 12 mandals under his influence, including Husnabad and Wardhannapet.
In Mahbubabad district, the elections created a record in Narsimhulapeta mandal, where Bhukya Sonia, 22, was elected sarpanch of Peddanagaram village. Backed by the Congress, she secured victory by a narrow margin of five votes. Sonia said she was proud to be among the youngest sarpanches and promised to work for the village’s development.
The polling process also witnessed remarkable displays of determination. In Mulugu district, Adivasi residents of Penugolu village trekked 17 km through hills and forest terrain to reach polling stations in Wazedu mandal, underscoring their commitment to the democratic process.
At the same time, a few disruptions were reported. In Chennaraopet and Laknepally, monkeys entered polling stations, forcing election staff to safeguard ballot papers and causing delays in counting. Earlier in the day, a scuffle broke out at the Chennaraopet polling station between Congress and BRS activists over allegations of illegal campaigning near the booth.
In another incident at Kothaguda, 10 postal ballots were reportedly rendered invalid due to negligence and incorrect addressing, drawing criticism of the polling staff involved.
Despite these incidents, polling concluded with high voter participation across the region, bringing the three-phase gram panchayat election process in the erstwhile Warangal district to a close.
