Andhra Pradesh records 81.86% voter turnout in LS, Assembly elections: CEO

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), May 15 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena on Wednesday said the total voting percentage for the 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats during the May 13 elections in the state was 81.86 per cent.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said this includes 80.66 per cent polled through EVMs and 1.2 per cent through postal ballots.

Out of 4.13 crore electors, he said 3,33,40,560 voted for 25 Parliamentary seats while 3,33,40,333 people cast their votes for 175 Assembly seats.

Meena noted that Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest voting percentage in the four phases of the polls across the country so far. The turnout numbers were also the highest in the history of the state, he said.

In 2014, Andhra Pradesh registered a voter turnout of 78.41 per cent and 79.77 per cent in 2019, he said, observing that even united Andhra Pradesh did not record a voting percentage as high as in 2024.

"Major stage of the election is over with the polling on May 13," Meena said, addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, and added there was a lot of enthusiasm among people to come out and vote. He also said apart from people from the state, those residing outside Andhra Pradesh and those living abroad also came to exercise their franchise.

According to the CEO, voters thronged the polling stations early in the morning, numbers reduced in the afternoon before it picked up from 4 pm, leading to late night voting.

As many as 5,600 polling stations had more than 1,200 voters and voting stretched beyond 6 pm, the scheduled close, he said. In 3,500 polling stations, it got extended and at one polling station it stretched till to 2 am on Wednesday as the last votes were cast.

Meena highlighted that election observers did not recommend repolling anywhere while the EVMs have been secured in 350 strong rooms across 33 places in the southern state.

Besides violence on the polling day which was controlled, he said post-poll violence was also reported in some places, especially in Tadipatri, Macherla, Chandragiri and Narasaraopeta.

Since Tuesday, Meena said the Election Commission has been in touch with DGP Harish Kumar Gupta to initiate steps such as CrPC Section 144, dispatching of senior officers, additional security forces and others to handle the situation.

"Local movement has also been completely controlled. Mainly, the candidates were responsible for the violent incidents. So, all those candidates should be immediately put under house arrest...Last night, the EC gave directions to detain them in their houses," the CEO added.

Counting is scheduled on June 4. PTI STH SS