Andhra Pradesh Achieves 81.86% Turnout in Dual LS/Assembly Polls

Andhra Pradesh saw a significant turnout of 81.86 per cent in the concurrent elections for the state Assembly and Lok Sabha, as announced by Chief Electoral Officer M. K. Meena on Wednesday.

During a press briefing, Meena disclosed that 80.66 per cent of voters exercised their franchise at polling stations, while 1.2 per cent utilized postal ballots, marking a 2.09 per cent increase compared to previous elections. In 2019, the voter turnout stood at 79.77 per cent, while in 2014, it was 78.41 per cent.

Meena elaborated that polling continued in 3,500 stations beyond 6 p.m., accommodating those in queues, with the last station concluding at 2 a.m. Some delays were experienced in certain areas due to rainfall, although no instances necessitating re-polling were identified following observer assessments.

The Andhra Pradesh elections, held in a single phase, involved over 4.14 crore eligible voters casting their ballots for 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats.

The Darsi Assembly segment recorded the highest turnout at 90.91 per cent, while the lowest was in Tirupati at 63.32 per cent. Among Lok Sabha constituencies, Ongole saw the highest turnout of 87.06 per cent, while Visakhapatnam recorded the lowest at 71.11 per cent.

An estimated six lakh individuals from neighboring states and even abroad returned to their native places to participate in the electoral process, reflecting a strong enthusiasm among voters. A total of 46,389 polling centers were established across the state to facilitate voting, with 2,841 candidates vying for political office.

Key contenders included Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telugu Desam Party leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, among others, contesting for the 175 Assembly seats. For the 25 Lok Sabha seats, notable candidates included state BJP chief D. Purandeswari, state Congress President Y. S. Sharmila Reddy, and former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

To ensure the security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), they have been stored in 350 strong rooms across the state, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.

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