Polling by and large peaceful

Hyderabad, Aug 2 (UNI) Barring minor incidents, the polling in gram panchayats in second phase went off peacefully as compared to the second phase gram panchayat elections of 2001.

In the current gram panchayat elections of 2006, less number of poll day incidents were reported. Today, elections for 6923 gram panchayats in 28 sub-divisions of 22 districts including three cities were conducted.

In the second phase of election, 2404 sensitive villages, 1686 hyper sensitive villages, 941 troublesome villages, 33 inaccesible villages and 877 affected villages went to poll, according to official release from Director-General of Police office.

The re-poll, however, has been ordered in 10 villages of five districts. They were in Guttimukkala village of Krishna district, Badepuram, Paludevalapadu villages of Guntur district, Yerramreddypalem, Vengalayapalem, Vemula and Sangavaripalem villages of Prakasham district, Chintareddypalem, Podalakur of Nellore district and Chiyyavaram of Kadaiap district.

There were incidents of tearing of ballot papers and pouring water in ballot boxes in these villages.

Three incidents of police firing into air were reported in Kamalakur village in Kadapa district, Mirjapeta village in Prakasham district and at Pallur village in Anantapur, to disperse angry rival groups and mobs.

Two bomb hurling incidents were reported. In Prakasam district at Vemula village in Prakasham district where TDP and Congress workers clashed and hurled bombs, the police intervened and dispersed the crowds. In another case, four people sustained minor injuries when TDP and Congress groups hurled bombs at Pathipadu village in Guntur district.

In 2001, there were four incidents wherein police had to open fire in the air when compared to three incidents now. One person was killed in 2001 and this time nobody was killed, the release added.

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