Polling begins peacefully, police on high alert in Chittoor, Annamayya

Urban local body elections in Chittoor, Annamayya, and Sri Sathya Sai districts began peacefully on Sunday (November 1, 2026), with voter turnout showing different trends across the three districts. Chittoor witnessed a huge turnout, while polling was moderate in Annamayya and slow in Sri Sathya Sai district during the early hours.

Also Read: Polling begins for 100 urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh | Highlights

Voters turned up in large numbers at polling stations in Chittoor, showing keen interest in choosing their municipal representatives. In Annamayya district, the response was moderate, while polling centres in Sri Sathya Sai district witnessed a relatively slow flow of voters.

In Sri Sathya Sai district, elections are being held in six urban local bodies — Hindupur, Dharmavaram, Kadiri, Puttaparthi, Penukonda and Madakasira. The first five are municipalities, while Madakasira is a Nagar Panchayat.

The peaceful start comes after clashes between political parties during the nomination process, particularly in Punganur and Rayachoti. Stone-pelting, attacks and vehicle damage had raised security concerns.

Police have stepped up security to prevent a repeat of such incidents. More than 1,500 personnel have been deployed in Chittoor district, covering Chittoor Municipal Corporation and the Palamaner, Kuppam, Nagari and Punganur municipalities.

The three districts have 13 urban local bodies with 9,05,669 voters, including 4,62,778 women, 4,42,779 men and 112 voters from other categories.

Police teams are keeping a close watch on sensitive polling stations, while mobile patrols remain on standby. Statewide, 36,351 police personnel have been deployed at 4,372 locations.

Annamayya district had reported 31 election-related cases and 51 arrests between October 15 and 29, prompting heightened vigilance.

With polling scheduled to continue until 5 p.m., officials are hoping that the peaceful atmosphere will prevail throughout the day. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 3.

Published - November 01, 2026 09:51 am IST