Over 85 pc turnout in second phase of Telangana gram panchayat polls; Cong claims decisive victory

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (PTI) Over 85 per cent of eligible voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of gram panchayat elections in Telangana on Sunday, the SEC said.

The elections concluded peacefully, and the counting of votes was underway as of 8 pm.

Of the 54,40,339 eligible voters, 46,70,972 cast their votes, recording a turnout of 85.86 per cent, according to a press release.

“The polling was held peacefully,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Mahesh M Bhagwat told PTI.

Polling was conducted from 7 am to 1 pm for 3,911 gram panchayat posts and 29,917 ward member seats.

Claiming a resounding victory for Congress-supported candidates in a majority of sarpanch positions across the state, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud said the results reflected the rural electorate’s confidence in the government’s governance.

Expressing satisfaction over the outcome, Goud said the people’s verdict was clear approval of the Congress government’s performance, according to a release.

He attributed the success to coordinated efforts by ministers, MPs, MLAs and local leaders, along with well-planned campaign strategies implemented down to the village level.

“People have given a clear mandate to the slogan of welfare, social justice and development. The emphatic victory of Congress candidates in the sarpanch elections is a strong symbol of this,” he said.

Goud added that the results of the first and second phases of the sarpanch elections reflected the positive impact of the government’s welfare initiatives at the grassroots level and would serve as a guiding force to further strengthen the Congress in Telangana.

The first phase of elections on December 11 recorded a voter turnout of 84.28 per cent.

The Telangana State Election Commission had announced a three-phase schedule for the gram panchayat elections to be held on December 11, 14 and 17.

Following the recent bypoll to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency, which was won by the ruling Congress, the gram panchayat elections are being viewed as a test of the popularity of the Congress, BRS and BJP, although the polls are held on a non-party basis.

Owing to legal hurdles related to the Congress government’s proposal to provide 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local bodies, the Telangana government, on November 1,7 decided to conduct elections only for gram panchayats, deferring polls to other rural local bodies, including Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) members. PTI VVK GDK VVK SSK