Predictions of Sunday’s poll outcome have gone beyond the calculations of pollsters and political parties because of huge turnout of women voters at the polling stations in the Eluru Municipal Corporation and the eight other municipalities in West Godavari district.
Polling in the district was peaceful and incident-free. Indications suggested that the polling might cross 75 per cent.
The polling stations across the district were seen overcrowded with first-time voters and women in the morning session. The perceived ‘female dominance’ by virtue of their numerical strength in all the civic bodies proved to be a point to ponder for the candidates over their fortunes. Women outnumber men 5000-1,000 in all the municipalities.
Summer heat seemingly failed to prevail over election heat. Braving the heat, people of all ages thronged the polling stations to cast their votes.
The election authorities put up ‘shamiyanas’ at the polling stations to shelter the voters and provided drinking water facilities.
MLA’s protestTDP MLA T.V. Rama Rao registered his protest over the alleged failure of the election authorities to put up shamiyanas and provide drinking water at the polling stations in Kovvuru.
DemonstrationA construction worker staged a demonstration at a polling booth at Subbammadevi municipal high school in Eluru with a black flag, appealing to the people to boycott the election as all the parties in the fray were allegedly exploitative in nature.
