Voters waiting in a queue to cast their votes at the polling station in Yendada, Ward 11, in the Madhurawada zone, during GVMC urban local body elections in Visakhapatnam on November 1, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Paul Nicodemus
Polling for the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections began on a peaceful note on Sunday (November 1, 2026), with several polling stations, particularly in semi-urban areas, witnessing a good turnout in the morning hours, while voter participation in the core urban areas was yet to gather momentum.
The overall polling percentage stood at only 3.34% in the first two hours, indicating a relatively slow start across the city.
According to booth-level officials, voter turnout was thin between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., with only a handful of people visiting several polling stations during the first hour. The flow of voters picked up from around 8 a.m., resulting in queues at many booths, particularly in parts of Bheemunipatnam, Madhurawada, Anakapalli, Pendurthi, Gajuwaka and the North, South and East Assembly constituencies.
Women and elderly voters were among those seen turning up in considerable numbers as the morning progressed. Many voters arrived at polling stations in autorickshaws and other vehicles in Kancharapalem, Gopalapatnam, Simhachalam, Peda Gantyada, Chandrampalem, Madhurawada and a few other areas.
Madhurwada and Anakapalli and has recorded 5.87% and 5.18 % voting respectively the highest among the 10 zones in Vizag, followed by Bheemunipatnam at 4.69% and Pendurthi at 4.43 %. South Assembly Constituency recorded the lowest at 1.81% in the first two hours. Out of 18,37,901 voters across the city, as many as 61,309 voters have exercised their franchise by 9 a.m. Of the 61,309 voters, 34,531 were male voters, while 26,778 female voters were female voters.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Mayor Candidate Varudu Kalyani exercised her franchise at AU High School in East Assembly Constituency.
At several locations, ward-level political leaders and local functionaries were seen coordinating voter mobilisation efforts. They were moving through residential streets, arranging autorickshaws and other vehicles to ferry women and supporters to polling stations and ensuring that they exercised their franchise.
Young people were also seen occupying polling agent desks on behalf of various political parties and keeping track of voter participation.
The polling process was largely peaceful, barring a few reported issues at certain locations in Gajuwaka. Elaborate security arrangements were put in place across the city, with police personnel deployed at polling stations and other sensitive locations. Barricades were erected at several places within a radius of half a kilometre to one kilometre of polling stations to regulate the movement of vehicles and people and prevent any untoward incidents.
Meanwhile, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg inspected the polling arrangements at Ram Seva Sadan School near Ramnagar in the East Zone shortly after polling commenced. He was accompanied by City Police Commissioner Shankhabratha Bagchi.
During the inspection, Mr. Ketan Garg instructed officials to remain vigilant and ensure that the polling process was conducted without any lapses. He stressed the need for adequate precautionary measures to prevent untoward incidents and directed polling personnel to guide voters and facilitate them in exercising their franchise.
Published – November 01, 2026 11:10 am IST
