First phase polling begins

Polling for the first phase of simultaneous elections to 21 LS and 147 assembly constituencies in AP began on April 20, 2004 under tightened security.

Polling for the first phase of simultaneous elections to 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh began amidst tight security this morning.

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Over 82,000 police personnel, including 25,000 armed forces, have been deployed and eight helicopters sought from central government would be broadly used in carrying out operations in naxal-infested districts besides using them to ferry election personnel to inaccessible areas.

Over 2.73 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the first phase to decide the fate of 132 candidates for the Lok Sabha and 857 contestants for Assembly.

Among prominent candidates whose fate will be decided in the Lok Sabha polls are Union Ministers Bandaru Dattatreya (Secunderabad), Ch Vidyasagar Rao (Karimnagar), TDP leader in the dissolved House K Yerran Naidu (Srikakulam) and Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy (Miryalaguda).

State Home Minister and senior TDP leader Tulla Devender Goud (Medchel), Forest and Environment Minister Ch Ayyanapatrudu (Narsipatnam), Telangana Rashtra Samith (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao (Siddipet) were among candidates who are in the fray for assembly polls.

The Lok Sabha constituencies going to polls on Tuesday are Srikakulam, Parvathipuram (ST), Bobbili, Visakhapatnam, Ankapalli, Mahaboobnagar, Nagarkunool (SC), Nalgonda, Miryalguda, Hanmakonda, Warangal, Khammam, Badrachalam (ST), Peddapalli (SC), Karimnagar, Adilabad, Medak, Siddipet, Nizamabad, Hyderabad and Secunderabad.