Percentage of votes polled in the two phases of elections held to the 39 ZPTCs and 656 MPTCs in the district was 79.09. While the first phase of polling held on April 6 in 22 mandals recorded 83.2 per cent, the second phase held in 17 mandals on Friday (April 11) saw 72.8 per cent of polling.
Of the 16,50,329 voters in 39 mandals 13,05,268 had cast their vote. Polling was heavy in the plain mandals during both phases with more than 80 per cent recorded in all mandals except Anakapalle, Chodavaram and Payakaraopeta, the 11 Agency mandals have recorded less percentage comparatively. Some of these mandals have strong presence of Maoists.
Chintapalli, GK Veedhi and G. Madugula only recorded 53.10 per cent, 55.10 per cent and 58 per cent respectively. Anantagiri, Araku Valley, Hukumpeta, Munchingput and Dumbriguda madals saw more than 70 per cent turnout of voters with Koyyuru, Paderu and Pedabayalu recording 63.80, 68 and 60.9 per cent respectively.
Polling passed off peacefully in the Agency area except a suspected Maoist taking away a ballot box at Boosiputtu in Munchingput Mandal. Police claim the sustained campaign through Sadbhavana Yatras and community policing has yielded results.
The polling percentage has gone up significantly from the panchayat polls conducted in July-August in three phases in the district. The voter turnout in panchayat polls was 68 per cent. However, there were issues like floods, heavy rains in the district which disrupted normal life. Also the Agency area saw the Maoists call for a boycott of elections. The Maoists enforced their writ by stopping people from contesting the elections in some villages and tearing up of nomination papers.
