HYDERABAD: A total of 58 candidates are left in the fray in the November 11 Jubilee Hills byelection after 23 candidates withdrew their nominations on Friday.
According to District Election Officer and GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan, most of the candidates who pulled out of the race were Independents. Addressing the media here, he said: “The voters now have a total of 59 candidates to choose from and this includes the NOTA option.”
“As the number of candidates is high, four Ballot Units (BUs) will be used in each Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Consequently, the voting compartments will be larger than usual,” he informed.
“A sufficient number of EVMs would be made available for the smooth conduct of the byelection. As 2,400 BUs are required for this poll, we will be procuring 900 additional BUs after taking permission from the ECI,” he said.
“For the first time, mobile counters will be established at all the 407 polling stations in the constituency, where the voters should deposit their mobile phones before going to the polling station to cast their votes. Voter Assistance Booths will also be set up to guide the voters,” he added.
Karnan said that Voter Information Slips (VIS) are being distributed by the BLOs and the process will be completed by November 5. He also revealed that home voting facility for senior citizens aged 85 years and above and for persons with disabilities (PwD) with a benchmark disability of 40 per cent or more will be made available. “This service allows them to cast their ballot via a postal ballot at their residence, ensuring they can participate in elections even if they face physical limitations,” he said.
He also said that as per ECI guidelines, sufficient police force and polling staff will be deployed for conducting free and fair elections.
Joint Commissioner of Police Tafseer Iqubal, meanwhile, said that the Police department is fully prepared to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful polling. Around 1,660 plus police personnel and eight companies of paramilitary forces would be deployed for smooth conduct of polling.
