HYDERABAD: As many as 3,500 security personnel, including six companies of the central armed forces, have been deployed for Nandyal bypoll in Andhra Pradesh, to be held on August 23, Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal said here today.
"About 2,500 Andhra Pradesh police and six companies ( about 1,000) central armed security forces have been deployed to oversee the security arrangements for Nandyal byelection. Besides, 82 flying squads are keeping a strict vigil," the CEO told reporters here in press conference.
Nandyal assembly seat fell vacant following the death of Bhuma Nagi Reddy, who won the seat in 2014 elections on YSR Congress Party ticket and later switched to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
The YSRCP has fielded Shilpa Chandra Mohan Reddy as its candidate, while Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy is in the poll arena from TDP.
The highly-charged election campaign in Nandyal constituency ended this evening.
A Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) unit attached to the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) allows the voter to view a printout of his vote for seven seconds, the official said.
Allaying fears that political parties will come to know the voters' preference through the VVPAT, Bhanwar Lal said the slip will be dropped into a sealed box after seven seconds and hence it is not possible for anyone to open it and see.
He further said that so far Rs 1.16 crore cash has been seized and a total of 368 cases were booked in election related violations during the last few days.
As per the election code, pre-poll, exit and opinion polls have been banned and any news channel airs such surveys will be slapped with cases, he warned.