Despite the awareness campaign run by the district administration and the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, the municipal elections recorded a final turnout percentage of 59.41% as compared to 52.48% in 2007, which is about 6% higher than the previous urban local body ( ULB) Election.
Out of 17,26,158 voters in the 10 wards of the GVMC border, 10,25,442 voters exercised their franchise while 7,00,716 voters did not participate.
On election day, voting started at a very slow pace. As of 1 pm, after about six hours of voting, the voting percentage was just 36.09%. Officials expect the turnout percentage to increase later in the day. However, in the last four hours till 5 pm only 20% more votes were cast. The final turnout was declared at 59.41%.
Out of 98 wards, only eight wards have recorded more than 70% turnout. Of these, two wards are from zone I (Bhimili), three wards are from zone VI (Gajuwaka), two are from zone VII (Anakapalle) and one is from zone VIII (Vepagunta).
Ward 80 of Zone VII (Anakapalle) recorded the highest 79.11% turnout. Ward 77 (Zone VI) with 76.83% and Ward 88 (Zone VI) with 76.49% reported the second and third largest voting percentage. It may be noted that the wards 77 and 88 cover areas of Vadapudi, Kanthi, Old Vadalapudi, Satyavanipalem, parts of Duvvada, Steel Plant School, Islampeta, Pittavanipalem, Appalakonda and Chepalapalem.
Meanwhile, Ward 4, which consists of five panchayats – K. Nagarapalam, Kapulupad, Nidigattu, JV Agraharam, and Cheppalappa, which were merged with the corporation, had a 72.93% turnout.
Seven wards saw less than 50% turnout. Three of these belong to Zone V (Gyanapuram). Ward 40 of Zone V recorded the lowest 19.05% turnout. Out of 20,142 voters including 6,848 women voters, only 3,838 voters exercised their franchise. It was learned that most of the 14 polling stations in the ward were seen vacant throughout the day.
Similarly, in Ward 51 and 52 in Zone 51, turnout was 47.56% and 48.24% respectively. Ward 14 in Zone III, Ward 29 in Zone IV, Ward 78 in Zone VI and Ward 93 in Zone VIII also recorded less than 50% turnout.
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