Andhra Pradesh: Polling for 92 urban local bodies across Andhra Pradesh concluded on Sunday, with Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta describing the exercise as peaceful barring a handful of minor incidents. The state police headquarters said it received information about 41 election-related incidents from 20 districts, including Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur.
Elections had been notified for 100 civic bodies. Ninety-two went to the hustings after the remaining were settled unanimously — 13 municipal corporations and 79 municipalities and nagar panchayats. Of the 3,942 wards, candidates were returned unopposed in 756, and 17 civic chiefs were elected without a contest.
Gupta said a large number of voters exercised their franchise amid heavy deployment, round-the-clock monitoring and coordination between departments, with advanced technology pressed into service. He reviewed the polling from the Integrated Command Control Centre at the police headquarters and issued instructions to field officers. Videography, drones, body-worn cameras and the Samartha app were used, and forces were concentrated in sensitive and highly sensitive areas. District police were told to verify each reported incident, identify those responsible and start legal action. The DGP warned that anyone attempting to disrupt polling or disturb public order would face strict action "irrespective of their position or influence".
The State Election Commission said preparations had run for three to four months. Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said the objective was voting "without fear, pressure or intimidation". Officials said 1,449 returning officers, 2,543 assistant returning officers, 13,504 presiding officers, an equal number of assistant presiding officers, 51,716 other polling staff, 3,720 micro-observers and 1,835 webcasting personnel were deployed. About 12,000 CCTV cameras covered 6,600 locations, and roughly 5,500 sensitive, hyper-sensitive and critical spots were under special watch. Footage will be preserved for 60 days instead of the earlier 40, and longer where disputes are pending before courts or tribunals.
SEC secretary A Mallikarjuna said polling stations were graded, with police deployed in a 1+4 pattern at hyper-sensitive booths and 1+2 at sensitive ones. Around 1,543 route vehicles were arranged to move ballot boxes, and striking forces, flying squads, reserve teams and quick response teams were constituted.
Ballot boxes are to be shifted to strong rooms under police escort, with security continuing at all strong rooms until counting begins.
Turnout figures were not disclosed in the statements issued on Sunday. Police characterised the day as peaceful, though the tally of 41 logged incidents points to a busier complaints desk than that description suggests; no arrests or confirmed cases of violence were announced.
(With inputs from media reports)