Smooth Sailing in Telangana's Gram Panchayat Elections

The first phase of elections for 3,834 Gram Panchayats in Telangana concluded peacefully, with over 56 lakh eligible voters. Amid heavy security and webcasting for monitoring, polling ended at 1 PM, followed by the vote count. The elections will test the popularity of major parties in the region.

The initial phase of Telangana's Gram Panchayat elections unfolded without disruptions, marking a successful start on Thursday.

With polling stations securely managed by police, Additional DGP Mahesh M Bhagwat confirmed the peaceful conduct of the elections. The state's election commission facilitated webcasting for robust oversight.

This electoral exercise involves over 13,000 Sarpanch candidates across thousands of wards, reflecting a political litmus test for the ruling Congress, BRS, and BJP after recent local victories.

(With inputs from agencies.)