District Collector Kantilal Dande said polling for 15 ZPTCs and 225 MPTCs in the first phase in the Parvathiuram Revenue division had passed off peacefully on Sunday. At 3 p.m., polling touched 75 per cent in mandals, he added
In the tribal-dominated mandal of Komarada, polling registered 78 per cent. Mr. Dande said tribals had participated in voting with enthusiasm. Out of the 5,79,785 voters, over four lakh exercised their franchise, and no untoward incident was reported from Maoist-infested areas. In the 2009 general elections, the percentage of polling in tribal-dominated mandals in the division was 76.5.
Mr. Dande said senior officials were deployed to oversee polling. Keeping in view the problems during municipal elections, the administration had taken steps to avoid confusion with regard to the voter list, he added.
At Chintada village in Bobbili mandal, the sarpanch who was acting as a polling agent was vacated from the polling station. The Collector said all boxes would be sealed in the presence of representatives of all parties and stored in strong rooms at Government Junior College and Government RCM High School at Parvathipuram.
