VIJAYAWADA: Setting the stage for a massive grassroots democratic exercise, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Anil Chandra Punetha issued a notification on Monday to hold elections to Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) across Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Commissioner Mylavarapu Venkata Ramakrishna Teja, SEC Secretary Dr A. Mallikarjuna, and Inspector General of Police B. Raja Kumari, Punetha announced that polling will be held for 659 ZPTC seats across 28 Zilla Praja Parishads (ZPPs) and 9,829 MPTC seats across 659 Mandal Praja Parishads (MPPs). Polling has been withheld in four ZPTC seats out of the state’s total 663, and 29 MPTC seats out of 9,858 due to specific administrative and legal exclusions.
In a major swift enforcement measures following reports of violent clashes and disruption during filing of nominations in some parts of the State, SEC Punetha informed that the commission has called for detailed reports from District Collectors and taken stern action.
Following a report submitted by the Kadapa District Collector detailing violent skirmishes at nomination centres where candidate nomination papers were torn in certain wards of the Mydukuru municipality, the Election Commission took a serious view of the breakdown of law and order and officially countermanded and halted the election process in Mydukuru municipality.
Punetha added that reports have also been sought regarding similar incidents of friction in Kadapa and other districts to initiate further necessary action. To ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections, the SEC scheduled a high-level video conference with District Collectors, Municipal Commissioners, and senior police officials to streamline security arrangements and prevent any further untoward incidents.
A massive electorate of 2,81,34,518 voters comprising 1,38,53,807 men and 1,42,79,285 women eligible to vote in these rural local body polls.
To execute the election seamlessly, the commission is deploying 28 Returning Officers (ROs) for ZPPs, 687 ROs and 1,374 Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) for MPPs. On the polling front, 35,333 Presiding Officers and 1,41,332 Polling Officers will man 35,333 polling stations established statewide.
Of the total polling stations, 9,966 have been classified as sensitive, 9,186 as hypersensitive, and 16,181 as normal stations. Live webcasting facilities will be set up across all 659 mandal headquarters and 28 district headquarters to closely monitor the voting process.