VIZIANAGARAM: The election cell on Tuesday corrected the percentage of polling in the byelection to the Bobbili parliamentary constituency as 69.26 (Bobbili 72.48, Therlam 72.77, Etcherla 70.66, Cheepurupalli 67.30, Gajapathinagaram 72.08, Vizianagaram 56.94 and Sathivada 78.70). It also maintained that the polling percentage in 2004 was 67.90.

In fact, the percentage of polling in 2004 was 76.48 (total number of voters - 9,75,194; votes polled - 7,45,808; men 78.08 per cent and women 74.96 per cent).

At the end of polling on Monday, the election cell circulated the official figures on percentage of polling as 71.14 (Bobbili 72, Therlam 75, Etcherla 71, Cheepurupalli 62, Gajapathinagaram 69, Vizianagaram 74 and Sathivada 75).

According to official figures released now and in 2004 election, though there was considerable increase in number of voters from 9,75,194 to 10,14,405, the votes polled dropped from 7,45,808 in 2004 to 7,02,798. Thus, the percentage of polling now is less than in 2004.

`No need for re-poll'

Srikakulam: District Collector V.N. Vishnu told The Hindu that as per the directions of the Election Commission, verification of votes in 17 polling stations where the percentage of voting was more than 80 was carried out and it was found that everything was in order and there was no need for re-poll in the five mandals - Ponduru, Ranasthalam, Etcherla, Laveru and G. Sigadam - which formed part of the Bobbili constituency.

The verification was carried out in the presence of candidates, Returning Officers and Election Observers, Mr. Vishnu added. A little over 71 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise. The Collector congratulated all polling personnel for completing the election without even a minor incident in Etcherla Assembly segment in Srikakulam district, which formed part of the Bobbili Lok Sabha seat.

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