BERHAMPUR: Preparations have already started in bordering villages of Odisha for the upcoming mandal and zilla parishad polls of Andhra Pradesh on April 8.With hardly a day left for the elections, candidates in fray have started appealing for votes in several bordering villages of Ganjam and Gajapati districts. The polls will be held at Kuladi and Satapuri villages in Ganjam’s Patrapur block besides Gudikhala, Gudipadar and Gangabada in Rayagada and Gosani of Gajapati. Earlier in February, AP had conducted panchayat polls in these villages.
Sources said the contenders campaigning on the Odisha side appealed to villagers to vote at the booths in Ichchapur and Manjusha mandals of AP by crossing the border. Most of the inhabitants in the bordering villages have dual voter IDs.
Meanwhile, the administration has stepped up measures to refrain Odisha voters from participating in the polls. Gajapati Sub-Collector Sangram Panda, who was in charge of dissuading villagers from participating in the AP rural polls, said the same procedure will be followed. However, the Ganjam administration could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.