VIJAYAWADA: The stage is all set for the conduct of elections to 92 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), including 13 municipal corporations and 79 municipalities and nagar panchayats on Sunday.
Elections have been notified for 100 Urban Local Bodies, including 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats. After excluding the civic bodies where the elections are unanimous, polling will be held for 92 Urban Local Bodies.
Of the total 3,942 wards, candidates have been elected unopposed in 756 wards, including 118 in municipal corporations, and 638 in municipalities and nagar panchayats. Seventeen civic chiefs have also been elected unanimously.
‘SEC aims to ensure free, fair voting without fear’
The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) has completed all arrangements for conducting the elections with a massive security deployment and extensive surveillance to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling.
State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said, “The SEC’s primary objective is to ensure that every voter exercises his franchise in a free and fair manner without fear, pressure or intimidation.”
Addressing the media at the SEC office in Vijayawada on Saturday, Punetha said preparations had been underway for the past three to four months through regular review meetings and coordination with various government departments for the smooth conduct of local body elections.
The SEC had held consultations with the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, District Collectors, Superintendents of Police, Police Commissioners, Municipal Commissioners and other officials to assess election preparedness and make law-and-order arrangements.
Punetha said 1,449 Returning Officers, 2,543 Assistant Returning Officers, 13,504 Presiding Officers, an equal number of Assistant Presiding Officers, 51,716 other polling officials, 3,720 micro-observers and 1,835 webcasting personnel had been deployed for the conduct of civic polls in a free and fair manner.
To enhance transparency, approximately 12,000 CCTV cameras have been installed at 6,600 locations. Around 5,500 sensitive, hyper-sensitive and critical locations have been identified for special surveillance. The video footage of elections will be preserved for 60 days, as against the earlier practice of 40 days. Footage relating to disputes pending before courts or election tribunals will be retained until the cases are disposed of, he said.
The SEC has also made elaborate arrangements for safeguarding ballot boxes in strong rooms through CCTV surveillance and round-the-clock police protection.
SEC Secretary A Mallikarjuna said polling stations had been classified into hyper-sensitive, sensitive and normal categories. Police personnel would be deployed in a 1+4 format at hyper-sensitive polling stations, and a 1+2 format at sensitive stations. As many as 1,543 route vehicles had been arranged for transportation of ballot boxes.Striking forces, special striking forces, flying squads, reserve teams and Quick Response Teams have been constituted to tackle law and order problems.
