Andhra Pradesh urban local bodies polls pass off peacefully

Barring a few incidents, polling in urban local bodies elections in Andhra Pradesh passed off peacefully today with nearly 75 per cent of electorate casting their votes.
State Election Commissioner P Ramakanth Reddy said that elections were held for 145 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations.
"Except one or two incidents, nothing untoward was reported during polls. Re-polling may be held in seven polling stations. Reports indicate that the overall polling would be in the range of 75 per cent," Reddy told reporters, adding that polling crossed 80 per cent in some places.
The commission deployed 14,000 electronic voting machines, 16 companies of central paramilitary forces and 130 battalions of Andhra Pradesh Special Police, besides regular police, as part of security arrangements for the elections.

Municipal elections had not been held in the state for the last three-and-a-half years, though terms of civic bodies ended way back in October 2010.
Over 17,800 candidates are in the fray for municipal polls while 3,340 contestants are trying their luck in the corporation elections.
Earlier, the official had said that about one crore voters would directly elect their ward or division representatives across 4,503 wards in the urban local bodies.