HYDERABAD: All arrangements are in place for the smooth conduct of the third and final phase of gram panchayat elections.
As many as 3,752 gram panchayats and 28,410 wards will go to polls on Wednesday when around 53 lakh voters will exercise their franchise at 36,483 polling stations across the state. Around 12,652 candidates have entered the fray for sarpanch posts, while as many as 75,725 are contesting for ward membership.
Though the State Election Commission notified 4,159 gram panchayats for polling in the third phase, no nominations were filed for 11 gram panchayats. Elections for two panchayats were stayed while 394 villages elected their sarpanches unanimously.
Ahead of the polls, officials bound over 36,165 persons under the preventive sections of BNS and 912 arms were deposited.
Officials also seized cash and materials worth over Rs 9,11,34,563, including Rs 2,09,84,530 unaccounted cash, Rs 3,81,63,154 worth liquor, Rs 2,28,32,539 worth drugs/narcotics, Rs 12,20,500 worth precious metals/ornaments and other materials worth Rs 78,33,840.
It may be mentioned here that the State Election Commission has created the Te-poll app, which is available now on Play Store.
Voters can download their voter slips and also they can find their polling station by using this app with the help of EPIC number.
The Commission also established a call centre facility with toll-free number 9240021456 for the benefit of voters.
Defeated candidate dies, voters return bribe money to family
Nalgonda: Moved by the death of a defeated candidate, residents of SC Colony in Kistapuram village of Munugode mandal in Nalgonda district returned the money given to them by the sarpanch post aspirant to his family.
Forty-nine-year-old Chenagoni Katamaraju, who was supported by the BRS, reportedly spent around Rs 25 lakh during his poll campaign. On Sunday, two days after he lost the election by a margin of 143 votes, Katamaraju suffered a heart attack and collapsed while speaking with his fellow villagers.
He was immediately rushed to a hospital in Hyderabad where he was declared brought dead. His last rites were performed on Monday. Following the funeral, voters from the SC Colony, specifically the ninth and 10th wards, collected the money he had distributed among them and handed it over to his son Vamshi.
Loser’s plea to villagers: Swear on god or return my money
Adilabad: A sarpanch post aspirant, Pagadi Shankar reportedly spent a huge sum of money to lure voters in Balaji Anukhode village in Chintalamanapelli mandal of Asifabad district. Unfortunately for him, the villagers elected his rival as sarpanch, leaving Shankar and his family disheartened. On Tuesday, Shankar, carrying a plate with sacred turmeric rice, went door-to-door, urging the villagers to either swear by god that they voted in favour of him or return the money he distributed to them. A video of his visit went viral on social media.
Ballots in drain: 12 officials suspended
Nalgonda: District Collector Ila Tripathi has suspended 12 officials, including Chityala Mandal Parishad Development Officer SP Jayalaxmi, for negligence after a number of ballot papers were found in a drain at Chinnakaparthi village in Chityal mandal of Nalgonda district during the first phase of gram panchayat elections on December 11.
The Collector had ordered an inquiry by Nalgonda RDO Ashok Reddy based on a complaint lodged with the police and the Collector by the defeated candidate Rudraram Bikshapathi. The inquiry concluded that the incident was a result of the irresponsible and negligent attitude of MPDO Jayalaxmi, who served as the Mandal Election Officer.
Consequently, she, along with 11 other election personnel who worked at that polling station, were suspended. The Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) strongly condemned the suspension of the Presiding Officers, stating that securing the ballot papers was the responsibility of the Returning Officer. The TSUTF expressed the view that this action is causing fear and mental distress among teachers performing election duties. They urged the Collector to immediately revoke the suspension.