AP Gram Panchayat Elections 2021: Polling for the first phase of Panchayat Elections passed off peacefully on Tuesday. Elections were conducted in 18 revenue divisions across 12 districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The State Election Commission said that there was 81.42 per cent turnout, as as per the Elections schedule, the counting of votes will take place from 4 PM.

The election for the deputy sarpanch will be held after the results are declared. As many as 75.55 per cent polling was recorded until 2.30 PM. As of 12:30 PM 62 percent polling was recorded. Webcasting was set up in about 7,000 centres and State Election Officer Girija Shankar monitored from the Command Control Centre through webcasting.

The polls were held in 12 districts except Vizianagaram. NOTA was made available for the first time in these elections, where there were two ballot papers, one for the Sarpanch post and one for ward members. According to the Panchayat Raj department, elections were to be held for 3,249 posts of panchayat sarpanchs, 525 have been unanimously elected, while no nomination was filed for a village in Nellore district.

As many as 7,506 candidates are contesting for sarpanch posts and 43,601 are in the fray for ward members.

The department had said 29,732 polling stations were set up, out of which 3,458 have been identified as sensitive and 3,594 hypersensitive. Web cameras have been set up at sensitive and hypersensitive polling stations.

All necessary precautions were in place as per COVID-19 protocol amid tight security.

Polling agent Noor Basha died of a heart attack in Kakumanu mandal at Garikapada in Guntur district. He died on the way to the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

In a few places, the opposition TDP leaders were seen wooing voters in Duvvuru constituency. Police arrested TDP leaders who were distributing nose pins to women voters and took them into custody.

TDP leaders were seen trying to bribe voters at Inkollu Mandal in Sudivaripalem in Prakasam district. TDP leaders were caught distributing money to voters. Police seized cash from them.

Sarpanch candidate Juttika Srinivas, a TDP sympathizer, was arrested by the police for distributing money to voters in Tokalapudi village in Veeravasaram mandal in East Godavari district.

A 106 -year old woamn named Gonesani Papamma of Peddayammanur, Uyyalawada mandal in Kurnool distrcit came forward to cast her vote with the help of local police.

Festival of #democracy.
First phase of #panchayatpolls AP.#Kurnool police helping 106 yr old Gonesani Papamma of Peddayammanur, Uyyalawada mandal to cast her vote.#panchayatpolls @APPOLICE100 pic.twitter.com/U3eCOATrXl
— Dr.Fakkeerappa Kaginelli IPS (@SP_Kurnool) February 9, 2021