VIJAYAWADA: Bypolls for election of 34 sarpanchs and 245 ward members in gram panchayats across Andhra Pradesh passed off by and large peacefully. Ruling YSRC-supported contestants are leading in the results emerging so far.
State Election Commission conducted these elections on Saturday on non-party basis from 7 am to 1 pm. The poll percentage was 77.99, with 96,814 of total 1.33 lakh voters exercising their franchise. Final poll percentage from three gram panchayats in Alluri Sitarama Raju district is, however, awaited.
Polling officials have started counting the ballot papers polled. Towards the night, results started trickling in from a few gram panchayats. Contestants backed by ruling YSRC party are said to be leading in several gram panchayats.
At Chalivendula gram panchayat in Hindupur Rural mandal in Satyasai district, YSRC-backed contestant Upendra Reddy won with 337 votes majority.
TD-supported candidate Kullayappa Naidu won by 18 votes against his nearest rival backed by YSRC in the hypersensitive Jangampalli gram panchayat in Yellanur mandal of Anantapur district.
Villagers of Sugumanchipalli in Jammalamadugu constituency in Kadapa district boycotted bypoll for the sarpanch and 14 wards over the government decision to merge the village instead of considering the demand for a separate gram panchayat. This is the third time that the villagers have boycotted the polls of gram panchayat seeking a separate panchayat.
At Sarvepalli in Nellore mandal, YSRC-supported candidates, backed by minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, proved their dominance by winning all the 12 wards. TD failed even though it fielded candidates only in three seats.
Former MLA from Dendulur Chinthamaneni Prabhakar was not allowed to enter the polling booth at Veerammakunta village in Pentapati mandal of Eluru district. This led to some heated arguments between Nuzvid DSP Ashok Kumar and the former legislator.
Tension mounted in the village as supporters of both ruling YSRC and opposition Telugu Desam also entered into heated arguments and even clashed with each other.
