Low voter turnout in Tirupati district; only 37 percent polling till 1 pm

TIRUPATI: Tirupati district witnessed a slow pace of polling in the municipal elections, with around 37 percent of votes recorded in the first six hours. In Tirupati Municipal Corporation, only 32.59 per cent of voters exercised their franchise between 7 am and 1 pm, with four hours remaining for the polling to conclude.

Among the four other municipalities in the district, Puttur recorded the highest turnout at 51.45 percent, followed by Naidupeta with 44.97 percent, Venkatagiri with 42.28 percent and Sullurupeta with 41.80 percent till 1 pm.

A political leader said that despite efforts by various parties to mobilise voters, many urban voters were reluctant to come out and cast their votes, resulting in a low turnout. However, there were expectations that polling percentage would improve during the final two hours.

District officials have been continuously monitoring the polling process across the district to ensure its smooth conduct.

No major incidents were reported in the district till 1 pm, except for mild tension at the 49th division in Tirupati. The CPM alleged that a large number of bogus voters had gathered at the polling station in 49th division to cast their votes. CPM leader K Venugopal appealed to the police to intervene and bring the situation under control.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pradeep Vennelakanti

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