Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Council polls pass off peacefully

Special Correspondent

Ten ballots of another district found in Sriharipuram

VISAKHAPATNAM: Polling in the elections to the graduates and teachers' constituencies of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam (north coastal Andhra) and the local authorities constituency of Visakhapatnam district held on Saturday was peaceful and incident-free.

According to the tentative figures of polling received by the evening, the percentage of votes polled was 58 and 75 respectively in the graduates and teachers' constituencies of north coastal Andhra and 98 per cent in local authorities constituency of Visakhapatnam district. Officials are expected to announce the exact percentage late in the night. District-wise percentage of votes polled was 73 and 65 in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram respectively in the case of graduates' constituency and 87 and 84 in the case of teachers' constituency. Visakhapatnam recorded 55 and 75 respectively in these two constituencies.

. The trend varied from one polling station to another in the case of graduates' constituency. More votes were polled in the polling booths at Andhra University High School where university teachers and students cast their votes and also at Mrs. A.V.N. College High School.

The turnout for the teachers' constituency was more than the graduates' constituency while the 700 plus MPTCs, ZPTCs and councillors who make up the electorate for the local authorities' constituency voted without fail. It was reported that Koyyuru ZPTC V. Nookaraju of the CPI went to his native place believing that he had to cast his vote there but rushed to the city in time and cast his vote. Deverapalli MPTC tried to draw some attention when he did not cast his vote till the last moment. He cast his vote at 3.55 p.m., five minutes before the polling closed.

Polling continued beyond the closing time of 4 p.m. at the polling booths located in Ukkunagaram, Kanithi, Sriharipuram, Gajuwaka, Pendurthy and Mrs. A.V.N. College High School since voters were present on the polling booths' premises at the closing time, said District Revenue Officer and Assistant Returning Officer S. Satyanarayana. Ten ballot papers of another district were found in the bundle meant for a polling booth in Sriharipuram and they were kept aside.

However, none of these ballot papers was used. Shortage of 61 ballot papers was noticed at a polling booth in Gopalapatnam and the required number of ballot papers was rushed immediately.

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