AP: Polling picks up in afternoon

An estimated 65 percent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the civic elections held to 96 municipalities and
11 municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.

The voter turn-out has been quite high even though the municipal polls were held a few days after the state was severely affected by floods caused by cyclonic rains. In the first eight hours till 3 pm, over 48 percent of the voters cast their votes, according to State Election Commission figures. The polling ended at 5 PM. 

The polling was, by and large, peaceful, barring for clashes between supporters of rival political parties at many places. Police resorted to lathicharge at several places to disperse the warring groups.

The Telugu Desam Party gave a call for boycott of polls in Pulivendula municipality which falls in the home constituency of Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy alleging a reign of terror let loose by the CM's supporters, particularly in his younger brother and Kadapa MP Y S Vivekananda Reddy. 

Slideshow: Andhra, washed away

TDP activists, led by former home minister T Devender Goud, staged a dharna in front of the State Election Commission office in Hyderabad to protest against the attempts by the Congress to rig the polls in Pulivendula, Narasaraopet and other municipalities in the state. Goud and supporters met State Election Commissioner Dr A V S Reddy, demanding the postponement or countermanding of elections in Pulivendula since the TDP leaders in the town were taken into custody.

In Vijayawada municipal corporation, polling is on in 45 wards. In the remaining 14 wards, polling has been postponed as several localities that continued to be waterlogged on account of the rain havoc earlier this week. Though 55 municipalities and six municipal corporations were affected by the heavy rains, the State Election Commission has gone ahead with the polls as the situation improved in the last couple of days. The people turned out in large numbers to cast their votes. 

The authorities made elaborate security arrangements for the civic elections by deploying 62,000 policemen, including 26,000 armed police personnel, in towns and cities. Security has been tightened in the municipalities and municipal corporations in the Naxalite-affected districts in view of the bandh call given by the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist). 

The police sealed the entry points into towns, put up barricades, organised patrolling and conducted search operations at all lodges and bus stations to keep an eye on outside elements sneaking into the municipal limits.

Out of 7,413 polling booths in 107 municipalities and municipal corporations, 2,173 have been categorised as sensitive, 2,107 as hypersensitive and 238 as troublesome. Additional policemen have been posted at these booths. The police took about 3,800 persons into preventive custody to ensure free and fair polls.

For the first time, electronic voting machines are being used in the civic elections. As many as 75 lakh voters are enrolled for these polls. A total of 15,864 candidates are in the fray for 3,466 wards in the civic bodies. The contest is mainly between the ruling Congress and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party though Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Bharatiya Janata Party and other parties are also in the fray.