Peaceful voting in 44 LWE‑hit stations as rain forces venue shifts in Andhra Pradesh

Polling in 44 left‑wing extremist‑affected stations along the Odisha‑Chhattisgarh‑Telangana tri‑state border finished peacefully, with no incidents reported. In Polavaram district, about 1.40 lakh voters – 63% of the electorate – voted in the MPTC and ZPTC elections. Tribal voters from resettlement colonies for the Polavaram irrigation project turned out in large numbers. District Collector K. Dinesh Kumar said polling ended by 3 p.m. and there were no untoward events. Around 1,100 police officers were on duty. Elections were held for 12 ZPTCs and 101 MPTCs in the district, which is under the Fifth Schedule. Extra transport was arranged to cope with rain, helping the turnout. Vote counting for the four mandals submerged by the project will be done in Chintoor, while the remaining eight mandals will be counted in Rampachodavaram on Nov 7. In West Godavari, continuous rain submerged 43 designated booths, so voting moved to government buildings in Attili, Tanuku, Mogalthuru, Veeravasam and Penumantra. District Collector Chadalavada Nagarani said the shift avoided postponement. Overall turnout across the state‑wide polls was 67.36%, covering 20 ZPTCs and 340 MPTCs; Attili mandal recorded the highest rate at 72%. In East Godavari, elections for one ZPTC and 18 MPTCs were delayed to Nov 6 after flash floods hit Gopalapuram mandal, according to Collector Ch. Kirthi.

Context

The tri‑state border area is classified as a left‑wing extremist zone, so extra security is normally deployed for elections. Fifth Schedule regions have special provisions for tribal representation, which explains the large turnout of displaced tribal voters. Rain‑related disruptions are common in coastal Andhra Pradesh, prompting officials to use alternative venues when polling stations are flooded.