First phase of panchayat polls ends peacefully in erstwhile Karimnagar

First phase of gram panchayat elections in erstwhile Karimnagar passed off peacefully on Thursday. Despite a slow start due to severe cold, polling picked up later, with turnout ranging from 77% to 82% across Karimnagar, Jagtial, Peddapalli and Rajanna-Sircilla districts

Karimnagar: The first phase of gram panchayat elections for sarpanch and ward member posts passed off peacefully across erstwhile Karimnagar district on Thursday.

Polling began at 7 am, but severe cold weather kept early turnout low as voters stayed indoors in the first two hours. Voting picked up steadily as the day progressed.

Karimnagar district recorded 81.42 per cent polling, with 1,24,088 voters casting their ballots out of 1,52,408 across the mandals of Karimnagar rural, Ramadugu, Choppadandi , Kothapalli an