The stage is all set for the conduct of by-elections for 18 assembly and one Lok Sabha seats in the State on June 12.
The campaigning for the by-elections came to an end on Sunday evening. Nearly 46 lakh voters will decide the fate of 255 candidates, including 13 aspirants from the Nellore Lok Sabha, through Electronic Voting Machines on next Tuesday. Addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat on Sunday, Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal informed that elaborate security arrangements have been at 5413 polling booths. Special security measures would be taken at 3200 polling booths which have been classified as ‘sensitive’.
There will be live webcast of polling from all the booths in 18 assembly and one Lok Sabha seats which would be monitored by the Election Commission officials in the district, State capital and New Delhi. As many as 140 companies of CRPF, CISF and Special Armed Forces have been deployed in the election-bound districts.
Bhanwarlal said that so far Rs 55 crore, including Rs 42 crore cash, have been seized in the election-bound districts. He said the seized amount was huge compared to 2009 general elections when only Rs 38 crore were seized for the elections conducted for 294 assembly seats in the State.
The CEO informed that Rajya Sabha member K Chiranjeevi has replied to the notice on poll code violation and the same has been forwarded to the Election Commission.
–Agencies