Update to our polling-day report

We reported earlier today that polling had opened at 7 am across 92 urban local bodies, with 99.35 lakh voters deciding the fate of 10,262 candidates. The figures in this report are the State Election Commission's first turnout numbers, released after the first two hours of voting. Read our earlier polling-opens report

VIJAYAWADA: Polling for elections to 92 urban local bodies across Andhra Pradesh was under way amid tight security on Sunday, with early turnout varying sharply from town to town, IANS reported. Voting began at 7 am at 11,378 polling centres in 13 Municipal Corporations and 79 of the 87 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats, and will conclude at 5 pm. According to the State Election Commission, Tirupati Municipal Corporation recorded 11.7 per cent polling till 9 am, while the average across the five local bodies in Tirupati district was 11.06 per cent in the first two hours. Puttur recorded 16.21 per cent, while only 4.15 per cent of voters had cast their votes in Naidupeta in the same period.

Source: IANS, via AsiaPost

16.21%Puttur turnout by 9 am — highest among early figures
11.7%Tirupati Municipal Corporation turnout by 9 am
4.15%Naidupeta turnout in first two hours — the slowest
11,378Polling centres across 92 urban local bodies

IANS reported that Chittoor district witnessed a huge turnout in the initial hours, while polling was moderate in Annamayya and slow in Sri Sathya Sai district. State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha inspected the polling process in Vijayawada, visiting the VTPS Colony polling station in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation limits, inquiring with officials about the votes cast so far and the turnout percentage, and emphasising that adequate arrangements must ensure voters can exercise their franchise without inconvenience.

Source: IANS, via HiIndia

About 99.35 lakh voters are deciding the fate of 10,262 candidates contesting mayoral, chairperson and ward-level posts, and the chairpersons of 17 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats were elected unanimously before polling day. The police have identified 1,233 sensitive polling stations for additional security measures, The Hindu BusinessLine reported, adding that repolling, if necessary, will be held on November 2 and counting of votes will be taken up on November 3. The main contest is between the ruling NDA alliance and the YSR Congress Party led by former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

ANI reported that the civic polls are being watched as the first major midterm test of the ruling NDA coalition led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu since it took office after the 2024 Assembly elections, with polling under way in centres including Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Kadapa and Vizianagaram. Sources: IANS reporting State Election Commission figures, The Hindu BusinessLine, and ANI.

Source: ANI, via Daily Prabhat