Nine panchayat unions in Tiruvannamalai district are set to go to the polls in the first phase of the local body elections on Friday.
Round-the-clock police vigil has been arranged in 1,930 polling stations and the respective counting centres in nine blocks, according to District Collector K.S. Kandasamy. The first phase of polling will be held in Tiruvannamalai, Kilpennathur, Thurinjapuram, Thandarampattu, Cheyyar, Anakavur, Vembakkam, Thellar and Peranamallur blocks.
As many as 76 candidates are fighting the elections in the 17 district panchayat wards, while 782 candidates are vying for posts in 180 panchayat union wards.
1614 candidates are in the fray for 473 village panchayat president posts.
For the 2,567 panchayat wards, there are 6,612 candidates contesting the elections. As many as 8.65 lakh voters are set to exercise their franchise in the first phase on Friday and 7.61 lakh voters are set to vote next Monday.
