The Tirupati Municipal Corporation recorded less than 50 per cent polling in Sunday’s municipal elections, while allegations of bogus voting and attempts to influence the electoral process surfaced in several divisions, triggering protests.
The corporation recorded 45.26 per cent polling by 5pm, the lowest among the five urban local bodies in the district, according to preliminary figures released by the district election authority and district collector. The turnout marked a decline of over eight percentage points from the 53.80 per cent recorded in the 2021 elections.
Apart from urban voter apathy, several practical difficulties appear to have contributed to the poor turnout. Polling stations were set up at locations unfamiliar to some voters, while several voters did not receive voter slips. In some cases, the slips lacked clear polling station details, making it difficult for voters to locate their booths.
In contrast, Puttur recorded the highest turnout in the district at 78.73 per cent, followed by Naidupeta at 69.99 per cent, Venkatagiri at 69.25 per cent and Sullurupeta 65.18 per cent. Voters were still waiting in queues at several polling stations at the close of polling hours and were allowed to cast their votes.
In Chittoor district, Nagari recorded the highest turnout among the four urban local bodies at 78.77 per cent, followed by Kuppam at 75.38 per cent, Palamaner at 72.66 per cent and Chittoor at 62.53 per cent. In Annamayya district, Madanapalle recorded 71 per cent polling, higher than Punganur’s 63.47 per cent.
In Tirupati, mild tension prevailed in divisions 48 and 49 following allegations of bogus voting. CPIM district secretary Vandavasi Nagaraju alleged that alliance leaders had attempted rigging and bogus voting in the two divisions.
A separate dispute surfaced in Division 60, where Jana Sena’s official candidate A Subhashini accused party rebel candidate A Sudhakar Reddy of attempting to rig the election. She alleged that outsiders had arrived in the division to influence the polling process.
Meanwhile, complaints of alleged bogus voting were reported from several divisions in the erstwhile Chittoor district. In the eighth ward of Palamaner, a woman, Ayesha, alleged that someone had already cast her vote before she reached the polling station. When the polling staff informed her that her vote had been recorded, she protested outside the booth and sought the intervention of election officials. Similar allegations were reported from Punganur and Madanapalle.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
