The first phase of Panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh was off to a good start on Tuesday morning. The polling which began at 7 am will go on till 1pm. People can cast their votes till 1 pm today.

The counting will start at 2 pm. Polling officials will declare the results by evening.

Polls were held for 5,803 gram panchayats in 25 revenue divisions in state's 22 districts during the first phase

Postponed sarpanch posts: 237

Candidates: 18,377

Poling time: 7 am to 1 pm

• Chandragiri: Minister Galla Aruna Kumari, along with her supporters created a ruckus at a polling centre in Chandragiri. This move drew a lot of flak from other parties' supporters.
•  Several people lodged a complaint with the police, but in vain. With the police refusing to act, they decided to approach the Election Commission.
• Nuziveedu: Tension prevailed at the Edulagudem polling center in Nuziveedu. Fake voters from the main opposition party TDP were caught casting their votes.
•  There was a rift when YSRCP activists obstructed TDP men from allowing illegal voting. Police interrupted them and took into custody a few TDP activists.
• 11 gram panchayats in Adilabad Visakhapatnam district postponed due to heavy rain
• Kurnool: Congress men distribute money at poll centers, four held
  Ruling party Congress is not allowing voters to leave without giving them money in Kurnool district. Local leaders from Congress party distributed money at a polling centre in Abdullapuram.
  Police took four Congress party activists into their custody. They also siezed Rs 28,500 cash from them and shifted them to Veligodu police station.

• Prakasam: TDP men rig polling booth at warden 20 in Tangaturu mandal.
  Officials appointed only one constable at the poling centre. Police refuse to entertain voters' complaints. TDP and Congress workers clashed at Adusumilli village leading to some tension.
• Tirupati: Tension grips Vendantapuram where panchayat polls is in underway. People from other places casted their votes here. Locals of Vedantapuram staged dharna at the polling centre. An unidentified person poured ink on the ballet box.
• In several districts, voters braved the rain to cast their votes
• Nizamabad: Confusion in Gudaram over ballot papers. Polling for 4th ward stopped. Three symbols in the ballot papers has four candidates.
• Guntur: A female election official, Gowthami fell unconsious in Battiprolu polling centre. Locals shifted Gowthami to a nearby hospital.
• Tenali revenue division: villagers boycotted the election after the police allegedly manhandled some voters.
• Adilabad: Due to incessant rains, polling has seen just 30 per cent attendance.
• Hyderabad: 55.8 per cent polling recorded till now.
• Polling for first phase ends. Counting begins at 2 pm. Voters waiting in queue to cast their votes have a chance till 1 pm.

Percentage of voting in vaious districts at 1 pm

    Adilabad: 60%
    Medak: 88.40%
   Nalgonda: 73%
    Nizamabad: 76.01%
    Prakasam: 90%
    Ranga Reddy: 86.94%
    Nellore: 85.75%
    Srikakulam: 90%
    Visakha: 69.45%
    Vizianagaram: 87.31%
    Warangal: 84%
    YSR district: 85.52%
    Ananthapuram: 85.77%
    Guntur: 87 %
    Karimnagar: 70.5 %
    Krishna: 89.7 %
    Kurnool- 85 %
    Chittoor:  83.34%

• West Godavari district: Chodagiri Satyanarayna won the sarpanch post with a majority of 1890 votes
• Mahaboobnagar: In a major blow to minister DK Aruna, YSRCP supported candidate won sarpanch polls in Dharmavaram.
• Same case with Manda Jagannadham. Congress received a shock in Kodedu where YSRCP supporter won the Sarpanch post.  
• Kakinada: Candidates supported by YSRCP won majority of sarpanch polls. Narsapuram, Ladurubaka in Rayavaram, Nernipadu in Mandapeta.
  The candidate supported by YSRCP also won K Gangavaram sarpanch post. But Congress demanded recounting. However, the candidate won even after recounting.

-Siva@sakshipost