Elections for urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh, involving 12 municipal corporations and up to 71 municipalities, took off in the 13 districts of the state on Wednesday in a largely peaceful manner.
Polling started at 7 a.m. and will last till 5 p.m. in the evening.
As many as 26,835 polling officials are conducting the elections in the 12 municipal corporations while 21,888 more are doing the same in the other municipalities.
More than 77.7 lakh voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the urban local bodies' polls.
Following the completion of the polls on Wednesday, results will be declared on Sunday.
Already, municipalities in Pulivendula, Punganuru, Piduguralla and Macherla have gone unanimous.
In the initial two hours after the voting began, Eluru corporation recorded a polling percentage of 10 per cent. There was uncertainty whether Eluru would go for the polls till the last minute but it went for the polls.
By the same time, Palakonda municipality in Srikakulam district recorded 7 per cent polling percentage, Pithapuram 12 per cent, Mandapeta 25 per cent and Ramachandrapuram 14 per cent among others.
"Elections have started on a smooth and peaceful note in Ananthapuram district. From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 11 municipalities will go for polls," said Ananthapuram district collector Gandham Chandrudu.
Early in the morning, Chandrudu inspected the polling arrangements and gave instructions to the polling and nodal officers.
Ananthapuram, Dharmavaram, Guntakal, Hindupuram, Kadiri, Tadipatri, Rayadurgam, Goothi, Kalyandurgam, Puttaparthi and Madakasira urban local bodies are conducting the polls.
These 11 municipalities have 358 wards, out of which 21 have gone for unanimous polls. As many as 1,131 candidates are in the fray for the polls being conducted in 858 polling stations.
Likewise, Kurnool district collector Veerpandian called on all the voters to exercise their franchise without fear and told them that a help centre has been arranged at every polling station.
Starting 6.30 a.m., Veerapandian has been monitoring the municipal polls from a control room in the Collectorate through web casting.
Polls are underway in as many as in nine municipalities in Kurnool district. Of the 302 wards, 77 have gone for unanimous polls.
Nearly 8.58 lakh voters are expected to cast their votes in the balance wards, being contested by 881 candidates in 781 polling stations.
In initial two hours, Kurnool municipal corporation witnessed a polling percentage of 9.6 per cent, Nandyala (9.8 per cent), Adoni (8.8 per cent), Yemmiganur (16.4 per cent), Dhone (11.9 per cent), Atmakur (17.5 per cent), Allagadda (21.2 per cent), Nandikotkur (13.3 per cent) and Gudur (18.1 per cent).
However, in total till 11 a.m., the Ananthapuram distict recorded 28 per cent voting in all municipal corporations while the voting percentage in all municipal corporations of Kurnool district was 27.4 per cent in the meantime.