Tirupati and Chimakurthy hold fresh polls after alleged electoral irregularities

Electoral authorities in Prakasam district conducted fresh polling in Tirupati and Chimakurthy constituencies on Monday after allegations of booth capturing marred the previous day's municipal elections. The decision to hold the repoll came after election observers and officials received multiple complaints regarding irregular voting practices and unauthorized access to polling stations.

Ongole municipality witnessed robust citizen participation in the municipal elections, with the Prakasam Collector confirming a voter turnout of 71.27% during Sunday's polling. The relatively high participation rate reflected voter enthusiasm despite the reported irregularities in some areas.

Booth capturing—where political workers attempt to gain unauthorized control of voting stations to manipulate results—remains a persistent challenge during electoral exercises across India. The Prakasam district administration took prompt action to address the allegations and ensure the integrity of the electoral process by ordering the repoll in the affected constituencies.

District officials stated that arrangements were made to conduct the fresh polls with enhanced security measures and stricter monitoring protocols to prevent any recurrence of malpractices. The repoll results were expected to be consolidated with the earlier voting to determine the final municipal poll outcomes.