Stage set for MPTC, ZPTC polls today after High Court clears way

Necessary arrangements are made to handle any untoward incidents during the polling hours in coordination with the police.
Polling personnel preparing for MPTC and ZPTC elections in Vijayawada on Wednesday I P Ravindra Babu
Polling personnel preparing for MPTC and ZPTC elections in Vijayawada on Wednesday I P Ravindra Babu

VIJAYAWADA: Stating that all arrangements are in place for the conduct of MPTC/ZPTC elections on Thursday, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Principal Secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi has requested all voters to exercise their franchise in the true spirit of democracy.

Dwivedi said approximately 2.46 crore electors are eligible to vote in the elections. Out of the 27,751 polling stations identified, 6,492 are sensitive, 6,314 hyper-sensitive and 247 are in the areas affected by extremism; web casting facility has been arranged at 3,538 polling stations, he added.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, he informed that out of 660 zilla parishad territorial constituencies (ZPTCs) elections in eight have been withheld due to various reasons. In the remaining 652, 126 ZPTCs went for unanimous results. 

Due to the demise of 11 candidates since March 2020, the elections will be held for 515 ZPTCs for which 2,058 candidates are in the fray.Out of 10,047 MPTCs, elections to 375 seats have been withheld. In the remaining 9,672 MPTCs, 2,371 were elected unanimously. As 81 candidates have died since March, 2020, 18,782 candidates will be contesting for the 7,220 MPTC seats on Thursday, he added. 

Stating that 43,830 big, 12,898 medium and 46,502 small ballot boxes are kept ready for the elections, Dwivedi said 652 returning officers, 1,091 assistant returning officers, 36,614 presiding officers and 1,34,430 other polling personnel have been appointed. The state has also deployed 1,972 zonal officers and 6,524 micro-observers.

Necessary protective gears required for the polling personnel and voters in the wake of a pandemic, such as face masks, hand sanitiser, thermal scanners and hand gloves, are kept ready at distribution centres.
PPE are also kept ready if Covid-19 positive patients are identified. All infected voters are allowed to cast their vote in the last hour of polling. Necessary arrangements are made to handle any untoward incidents during the polling hours in coordination with the police.

Fight for 515 ZPTCs
Elections will be held for 515 ZPTCs for which 2,058 candidates are in the fray. As many as 18,782 candidates will be contesting for 7,220 MPTCs that will go to polls

Election day
275 counting centers arranged. Security arrangements and Covid-19 precautionary measures in place
11,404 counting supervisors and 29,994 counting personnel appointed 
A command & control centre established at PR&RD commissioner’s office
13 officers from the commissioner’s office appointed to monitor the elections, and extend necessary support to the CEOs, ZPPs. They will be stationed at the dist HQs
Web-casting arrangements made at the commissioner’s office 
SEC issued notification for the conduct of elections to MPTCs/ZPTCs on March 7, 2020
SEC issued notification for postponement of elections on March 15, 2020 due to Covid-19
SEC issued another notification resuming postponed elections to MPTCs ZPTCs on April 1, 2021
Polling scheduled on April 8 and counting on April 10
Single judge of AP High Court stayed elections to MPTCs / ZPTCs on April 6 
Division Bench of HC on April 7 allowed the Writ Appeal and ordered to continue the elections to MPTCs / ZPTCs as scheduled on April 8

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