State Election Commissioner reviews local election preparations amid cyclone impact

Several areas in Andhra Pradesh are experiencing heavy rain and strong winds under the influence of Cyclone Murasu. Amidst these challenges, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha on Wednesday reviewed the preparations for the MPTC and ZPTC elections scheduled for Thursday.

According to a report by The Hindu, the State Election Commissioner held detailed discussions with district collectors and superintendents of police regarding election arrangements. He specifically sought reports on weather conditions, accessibility to polling stations, transport arrangements, and the readiness of election personnel in cyclone-affected districts.

District collectors informed him that rainfall has decreased in most districts and, except for a few areas, the polling process can be completed without any difficulty. Mr. Punetha instructed the district administration to maintain a constant vigil on local situations and take preventive measures to ensure that voters and personnel in rain-affected areas face no inconvenience.

He stated that if any difficulty arises in conducting the elections, a decision will be taken based on detailed reports from field-level officers. He urged officials from all departments to coordinate to ensure free, fair, and peaceful polling and to make adequate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incidents.

State Election Secretary A. Mallikarjuna informed that approximately 2.52 lakh officers and employees have been appointed for election duty, while another 52,000 employees will be engaged in the counting process. He added that special attention is being given to arrangements in West Godavari, Guntur, and Bapatla districts, as they have suffered the most from the cyclone.

Mallikarjuna emphasised the need for videography at polling stations and, where necessary, within the premises, provided it does not compromise the secrecy of the ballot. He directed that any untoward incident should be recorded and the presiding officer must immediately inform the zonal magistrate or police in case of any irregularity or disturbance.

He also asked officials to ensure that presiding officers have downloaded the appointed applications at distribution centres. He instructed that alternative arrangements be made using the phones of other employees or police officers if necessary. As the number of voters has increased to approximately 2.61 crore, he appealed for micro-level planning and coordination for the smooth conduct of the elections.

DGP Harish Kumar Gupta stated that the police have prepared detailed security plans, including arrangements to control crowds and queues at polling stations. Sufficient police forces will be deployed according to local requirements to maintain law and order and ensure that voters can cast their votes without difficulty.

Panchayat Raj Commissioner Mailavarapu Krishna Teja stated that elections are being held for 7,770 out of a total of 9,821 MPTC seats, while 2,051 seats have been decided by consensus. For the remaining seats, 18,843 candidates are contesting. A total of 31,460 polling stations have been established across the state for these elections, where approximately 2.61 crore voters will cast their votes.