All Set for 2nd Phase of Local Polls in Telangana Today

Hyderabad:With Congress-backed candidates grabbing over 60 per cent of the sarpanch posts in the first phase, the second phase elections on Sunday in several districts across the state have acquired an added intensity.

The State Election Commission said it was ready hold the elections to elect 3,911 sarpanches and 29,917 ward members. Counting of votes would be conducted an hour after polling and most results are expected to be in late at night. Voting would be on ballot papers and on a non-party basis. There are over 57 lakh voters for the second phase.

State Election Commission secretary I. Rani Kumudini said there were 12,782 candidates for the sarpanch posts, and 71,071 for ward members. “Elections will be held in 38,337 polling stations," she said.

Public meetings and campaigning over electronic media closed at 5 pm on Friday, and candidates individually met voters on Saturday. Instructions were issued to the district administrations to complete the distribution of photo voters slips by the evening.

Voters can download their voter slips and find their polling station by using the mobile app. The commission has established a call centre to render assistance, with toll free number 9240021456.

Secretary Kumudini said 3,675 FIRs were registered against several persons for violating the model code of conduct. The commission has seized `8.59 crore worth cash, liquor, drug and other material. This includes liquor worth `3.48 crore.

Senior police officials during a review meeting directed field personnel to ensure that the elections were held peacefully and in a fair manner.

Sunday’s polling

Mandals: 193

Panchayats: 4,333

Wards: 38,350

Polling stations: 38,350

Voters: 57,22,665

Sarpanches elected unopposed: 415

Wards members elected unopposed: 8,307

No nominations filed for sarpanches: 5

No nominations filed for wards: 108

Sarpanch elections stayed: 2

Ward elections stayed: 18