The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Polls to 3 civic bodies today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 19, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Polls to 3 civic bodies today

Special Correspondent

Keen contest on the cards between Congress and Telugu Desam Party

HYDERABAD: The second biggest city in the State, Visakhapatnam, will go to polls on Monday, along with Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation and Hindupur Municipality in Anantapur district. Keen contests are on the cards between the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at all the three places.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made considering the high stakes involved in the elections. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were despatched to all polling stations.

Rebels in fray

Visakhapatnam will witness an interesting battle, as rebel candidates of the major parties hold the key in many a division. After the formation of Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation with the merger of Gajuwaka Municipality and 32 village panchayats in the city limits, the electorate went up to 11.62 lakh voters.

The total number of divisions increased to 72 from 50. While the Congress and the CPI have joined hands, the CPI (M) chose to ally with the TDP in the city. The Congress announced that it would make a backward class person as the Mayor.

About 1.95 lakh voters, spread in 50 divisions, will decide the fortunes of 195 contestants in Rajahmundry elections. The two political parties indulged in a slanging match just on the eve of the elections.

As many as 192 candidates have thrown their hat in the ring for 38 wards in Hindupur town and 84,000 voters will seal their verdict in the EVMs.

Trading charges

Amidst charges of distribution of liquor and money at all the three places, a TDP activist was caught with Rs. 19,000 in cash and a Congress worker, with over 500 sarees in Hindupur.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu strategically stayed away from campaign.

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Andhra Pradesh