ANANTAPUR: Anantapur district is all set to conduct the fourth phase of gram panchayat polls. Additional forces, including 150 rapid striking contingents, have been deployed in hyper-sensitive parts of Penukonda, Hindupur and Madakasira areas of Penukonda revenue division, which is dominated by factionists. A tense situation is prevailing in several villages of Lepakshi, Roddam and Penukonda areas.
Hindupur is represented in the assembly by film star Nandamuri Balakrishna of TDP. Both Telugu Desam and YSRC groups are keen on gaining an upper hand in the gram panchayat polls.
Collector Gandham Chandrudu inspected polling stations in Madakasira and Penukonda areas in the district on Saturday. Elections are to be held on Sunday in 184 gram panchayats of 13 mandals in Penukonda revenue division. Superintendent of police P. Satya Esubabu said about 4.500 policemen have been posted in Penukonda revenue division to maintain law and order.
Kadapa district administration has also made all arrangements for the final phase of panchayat elections in 224 gram panchayats of 13 mandals under Pulivendula and Jammalamadugu constituencies. Of these, 108 panchayats, amounting to 48.02 percent, have seen unanimous elections. All panchayats in Chakrayapeta and Tondur mandals have elected their representatives unanimously. District collector Chevuru Harikiran and SP Karur Karunapati Nagendra Kumar Anburajan jointly said at a press conference on Saturday that total 116 panchayats in 11 constituencies will go to polls on Sunday. In the run up to the election, cash worth Rs. 1.3 crore and liquor worth Rs. 1.96 lakh have been seized, the SP said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of MPTC and ZPTC candidates, including women, reached the collector's office on Saturday after the State Election Commission directed candidates, who could not file their nominations for various reasons, to file their applications through the collector. Hundreds of people from all parts of the district arrived at the collector’s office early Saturday morning. Applications were collected till 5 p.m. on Saturday. Gates of the collector’s chamber were closed after 5 p.m.
A large number of Telugu Desam, Bharatiya Janata Party and independent candidates from Pulivendula, Rayachoti, Kadapa and Kamalapuram constituencies were among those who came to the collector's office. They all complained to the collector about the irregularities that took place during the nominations. They alleged that YSR Congress leaders and some officials had warned them against filing their nominations.
