First phase of Andhra Pradesh elections underway in 2,723 panchayats

Polling for 2,723 panchayats

in Andhra Pradesh was underway with people standing in queues to cast their vote early on Tuesday.

Polling began at 6.30 AM and will go on till 3.30 PM while counting of votes will begin at 4 PM, official said.

Elections are also being held to elect 20,157 ward members.

The polls will be conducted in four phases till February 21 with the first first one being held on Tuesday

According to the Panchayat Raj department, elections were to be held for 3,249 posts of panchayat sarpanchs, 525 have been unanimously elected, while no nomination was filed for a village in Nellore district.

As many as 7,506 candidates are contesting for sarpanch posts and 43,601 are in the fray for ward members.

The elections are being held using ballot paper and without any political party symbols.

The department had said 29,732 polling stations were set up, out of which 3,458 have been identified as sensitive and 3,594 hypersensitive.

All necessary precautions are in place as per COVID-19 protocol amid tight security and PPE kits will be provided to voters infected by the virus, it added.