77.46% polling in ZPTC, MPTC elections in Telangana

: The total percentage of votes polled in the three phases of elections held to the mandal parishad territorial constituencies (MPTCs) and zilla parishad territorial constituencies (ZPTCs) in Telangana stood at 77.46 per cent, a senior official said Wednesday.

As many as 1,20,86,385 of the total 1,56,02,845 voters exercised their franchise in the polls to the two upper tiers of local bodies.

"77.46 per cent of voters turned up for the elections," State Election Commissioner V Nagi Reddy told reporters here.

The highest poll percentage was recorded in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district with 87.02 per cent; the lowest was in Vikarabad district at 70.40, he said.

The Telangana State Election Commission last month released the election schedule for 5,817 MPTCs and 538 ZPTCs.

Unanimous elections had taken place for 158 MPTCs and four ZPTCs.

The first phase of polling was held on May 6, the second on May 10 and the third and final phase on Tuesday.

A total of 2,426 candidates for ZPTCs and 18,930 for MPTCs had contested.

The elections were held through ballot and counting would be held on May 27 at 123 counting centres, Reddy said.

After the ZPTC and MPTC polls, Mandal Praja Parishad and Zilla Praja Parishad members will be elected.

Telangana had been in the grip of election fever since December 2018 when the assembly polls were held.

In January 2019, elections to the panchayats were conducted.

Elections to 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state were held on April 11 this year.