Ex-CM Jagan, Actor Balakrishna, AP ministers cast votes in municipal elections
Jagan Mohan Reddy cast his vote in his home constituency of Pulivendula in Kadapa district, while Balakrishna, accompanied by his wife Vasundhara, voted at a polling station in Hindupur in Sri Sathya Sai district.
BJP State president P V N Madhav cast his vote in Visakhapatnam, while TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao exercised his franchise in Gajuwaka.
Civil Supplies Minister and Jana Sena leader Nadendla Manohar voted in Tenali in Guntur district.
Endowments Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy cast his vote in Atmakur in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district, while Women and Child Welfare and Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani voted in Salur in Parvathipuram Manyam district.
In Vijayawada, Jana Sena mayoral candidate Vangaveeti Radha and independent candidate and former IPS officer A B Venkateswara Rao also cast their votes. Leaders of the ruling TDP-led alliance partners Jana Sena Party and BJP, as well as opposition YSR Congress Party, participated in the polling.
Speaking to the media after casting his vote, Balakrishna said the right to vote was important in a democracy and appealed to every eligible voter to exercise their franchise to elect good leaders who could undertake development and welfare programmes.
Polling began at 7 am and continued until 5 pm across 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities and Nagar Panchayats.
Counting of votes is scheduled for November 3.
Elaborate security arrangements were made across the State, with more than 36,350 police personnel deployed at 4,372 polling locations in view of clashes reported between ruling TDP and opposition YSRCP cadres during the nomination process.
Webcasting and micro-observers were deployed at sensitive polling stations, while police maintained heightened vigil in vulnerable areas, particularly in parts of Rayalaseema.
Polling was reported to be largely peaceful during the initial hours, barring minor administrative issues, including ballot paper discrepancies in some wards of Tirupati and Guntur, which were subsequently rectified by election officials.
