VIJAYAWADA: With local body elections just 10 days away, Krishna district police have made elaborate arrangements for its smooth conduct. While the MPTC and ZPTC polls will be held on March 21 and counting of votes on March 24, polling for urban local bodies will be held on March 23.
In order to ensure no liquor and money is distributed to the voters, as many as 65 check posts were set up in various identified problematic locations across the district and special teams formed to check illegal practices during the elections.
Krishna Superintendent of Police (SP) M Ravindranath Babu said the ZTPC, MTPC and panchayat elections will be conducted in 2,752 polling stations of which 979 stations were highly-sensitive.
Additional police force would be deployed at all problematic polling stations two days before the polling and concerned station house officers were asked to visit the villages and counsel the villagers so that they cooperate with election staff and police, he added.
The SHOs were also asked to take offenders during previous elections, suspect0sheeters and other anti-social elements into custody and file bind-over cases against who ever tries to violate the Model Code of Conduct.
"Notices were issued to over 1,000 persons asking them to appear before the SHOs of their areas concerned. Also, additional forces would be deployed at villages where clashes between YSRC and TDP activists were reported during the general elections," Ravindranath Babu said.
He also said cases will be filed against the candidates if they found flouting rules under MCC while filing nominations. He also said candidates should get police permission for organising rallies during the process.
Meanwhile, Krishna district joint collector Madhavilatha told all election returning officers, village revenue officers, Mandal Parishad Development Officers and Tahsildars to remove photos of political leaders on banners and flexes. She also told them to remove photos of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Spandana banners and other places.