GP Polls: 90.08 per cent voting in Khammam; poll staff complain of poor facilities in Kothagudem

Khammam district recorded an impressive 90.08% turnout in the first phase gram panchayat polls, with several mandals crossing 90% voting. Kothagudem registered 71.79%, while Mahabubabad saw 86.69%. Counting was delayed in multiple mandals, and polling staff complained of lack of basic facilities

Khammam: Good voter turnout was witnessed in the first phase gram panchayat elections in Khammam on Thursday with a voting percentage of 90.08 recorded in the district.

District Collector Anudeep Durishetty said that 23.29 percent polling was recorded by 9 am, 52.25 percent by 11 am and 86.95 percent by 1 pm. Voters who reached the polling stations by 1 pm were allowed to vote, resulting in a polling percentage of 90.08 percent in the district.

---

The Collector stated that the polling percentages in the mandals where the first phase of polling took place were as follows: Bonakal mandal – 90.85 percent, Chintakani – 91.05, Konijerla – 89.61, Madhira – 90.08, Raghunadhapalem – 91.09, Wyra – 90.67 and Yerrupalem mandal – 87.28 percent. Counting of votes was delayed at many places due to various reasons.

In Kothagudem, 71.79 voting percentage was recorded in the first phase gram panchayat elections in Aswapuram, Bhadrachalam, Burgampahad, Cherla, Dummugudem, Karakagudem, Manuguru and Pinapaka mandals.

Counting was delayed in Bhadrachalam where counting of votes started at 6.15 pm. Similarly counting of votes was delayed in Burgampahad and other mandals as well. Meanwhile the polling staff who attended duties in Dummugudem and Manuguru mandals.

The staff complained that they were not provided basic facilities such as food and drinking water at distribution centres. Many were forced to distant places to get food as the distribution centres were remotely located. In Dummugudem the staff was served burnt rice.

Meanwhile in Mahabubabad, 86.69 percent voting was recorded in the first phase GP elections held in Gudur, Inugurthy, Kesamudram, Mahabubabad and Nellikudur mandals. Of the 1.72 lakh votes, 1.49 lakh votes were polled.