Hyderabad: After massive campaigning by the regional and national political parties, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election will be held on Tuesday.
The counting of votes for the polls would be held on December 4.
There are 150 wards in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The mayor’s post is reserved for a woman this time. Elections will be conducted with ballot papers in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the Hyderabad city commissionerate, 817 new polling stations have been set up as compared to 2016. There are 2,146 normal polling stations, 1,517 sensitive polling stations and 167 hypersensitive polling stations. Till now a total of 4,187 guns were deposited, 3,066 rowdy sheeters were bounded over and Rs 1.45 crore cash was seized. Drugs and alcohol worth Rs 10 lakhs were seized. A total of 55 FIRs were registered in 63 complaints, the administration said in a press release.
Anjani Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad city while speaking on GHMC elections stated, “We have made all security arrangements with 22,000 policemen for GHMC elections. We have briefed the police personnel four times. We have set up tight police security in all areas as per State Election Commission guidelines.”
“Central and state forces are available in Hyderabad city. We have set up security at normal, sensitive, hypersensitive, and critical polling stations under the leadership of Inspector-level officers. Striking Force, Emergency Response Team will be available. Security has been set up at 293 hypersensitive pickets. We have set up six armed police teams at critical hypersensitive police centres,” he added.
The Commissioner of Police further said, “There are 89 wards under Hyderabad Commissionerate. There are 4,979 polling stations and 817 new polling stations have been set up as compared to 2016. We are constantly monitoring with 406 mobile parties. We have set up 29 border check posts in Hyderabad and 293 pickets in hypersensitive areas.”
“We have linked every polling station with geotagging. We keep a close watch on social media. We issued 49 pending non-bailable warrants. We have secured security through an electronic platform. We are monitoring through 4 lakh CCTV cameras with ACP and DCP level officers. We have round the clock surveillance in the CP office,” he added.
The administration has put on live streaming after the election and set up tight surveillance at the strong rooms. Polling time is from 7 am to 6 pm.
Kumar further said: “Election agents will not be allowed special vehicles. Therefore, they should travel in contesting candidate vehicles only. Voters can park their vehicles at 200 metres distance to the polling station. Only one vehicle per ward per candidate is allowed on polling day.”