HYDERABAD: Over 6,000 gram panchayats will go to the polls in the first phase on Saturday in the backdrop of the escalation in tension following the killing of top Maoist leader Madhav in an encounter in Nallamala forest in Prakasam district on Sunday.

Incidentally, the three-phase polls coincide with the `martyrs week' observed by Maoists every year to perpetuate the memory of naxalite leader Charu Mazumdar.

As usual, the CPI (Maoist) has given a call to observe the week from July 28 to August 3.

It has also decided to observe a Statewide bandh against the Nallamala encounter on the last day.

Counting on same day

Amid fears of retaliation from the Maoists, elections would be held in 29 revenue divisions, including naxalite-affected Asifabad and Utnoor (Adilabad), Manthani (Karimnagar), Nagarkurnool (Mahabubnagar), Ongole (Prakasam), Narasaraopet (Guntur), Paderu (Visakhapatnam) and Mulug (Warangal) divisions in all the 22 districts.

The three-phase elections on non-party basis would commence at 7 a.m. on Saturday and end at 1 p.m. Counting of votes would be taken up at 2 p.m. and the election of upa-sarpanch would also be held the same day. The second and third phase of polls would be held on August 2 and 6 respectively.

State Election Commissioner A. V. S. Reddy said that all arrangements had been made for peaceful and proper conduct of elections. Election material and polling staff had already left for the respective polling stations. He said the heavy rain lashing some parts of the State would not disrupt the election process. However, polling staff were asked to leave for Sampangipeda, Jilleduvalasa and Kudama villages in Salur mandal of Vizianagaram district on Thursday itself as the polling personnel had to trek 10 km to reach the station in the agency area.

Director-General of Police (Law & Order) P.V. Naidu said that 55,000 policemen would be on duty for each of the three phases. Five companies each of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka police were also drafted for bandobust duty.

He also said that additional forces were mobilised for districts covered by the Nallamala forest ranges.

Intelligence about the movement of naxalites was stepped up at all police stations in view of the latest encounter.

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