Hyderabad, Dec 10 (IANS) The stage is set for the first phase of gram panchayat elections in Telangana on Thursday. Station Election Commissioner Rani Kumudini said that all arrangements have been made for peaceful and free and fair elections.

More than 56 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes for 3,800 gram panchayats and 37,440 wards spread over 189 mandals. The polling will be held from 7 a.m. The counting of votes will be taken up immediately after the polling.

A total of 56,19,430 candidates are eligible to cast their votes. The poll panel has set up 37,562 polling stations.

She said 12,960 candidates are in the fray for the offices of sarpanches while 65,455 candidates are contesting for the offices of ward members.

Sarpanches for 395 gram panchayats have been elected unan

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