10.5L voters to exercise franchise in Kurnool

Kurnool: District Collector G Veera Pandiyan has said that as per the State Election Commission notification, the elections for Kurnool Municipal Corporation, seven municipalities and a nagara panchayat will be conducted in Kurnool district.

Addressing media along with Superintendent of Police Dr Fakkeerappa Kaginelli and District Deputy Election Officer Kalpana Kumari at the Collector's Conference Hall here on Monday, Veera Pandian said with the issuing of notification, the model code of conduct has come into effect immediately in the district.

The collector said urban local body elections would be conducted for Kurnool Municipal Corporation along with Nandyal, Adoni, Yemmignoor, Dhone, Nandikotkur, Atmakur and Allagadda municipalities and Gudur Nagara Panchayat.

He said the nominations can be withdrawn up to 3 pm on March 3. According to the schedule, the urban local body election would be conducted on March 10, he said and added the Election Commission would decide on repolling, if necessary, on March 13 and the counting of votes would start on March 14 from 8.00 am. As many as 5,14,555 male and 5,33,628 female and 300 third genders, altogether 10,48,483 voters would exercise their franchise in the election, the collector said. The district has around 302 wards, 80 routes, 39 sectors of the 979 polling stations, 302 hyper-sensitive, 288 sensitive and 389 normal polling stations. Strict measures would be initiated to prevent violation of model of conduct through video graphing and web casting, he made it clear.

A total number of 6,207 staff that includes 92 Returning Officers (ROs), Additional ROs 77, Assistant ROs 134, Presiding Officers 1,179, Assistant Presiding Officers 1,179 and Polling Officers 3,849 would discharge duties at the urban local bodies' elections. He appealed to voters to exercise their franchise in a free and fair manner without any fear.

Superintendent of Police Dr Fakkeerappa Kaginelli said the election code would be in force at Kurnool Municipal Corporation and Nandyal, Adoni, Yemmignoor, Dhone, Nandikotkur, Atmakur and Allagadda Municipalities besides Gudur Nagara Panchayat. Entry and exit check posts have been set up at the urban local body elections.

Strict vigil has been kept on the strangers and anti-social elements. Special police bando bast has been made at the sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas besides filing bind over cases on the problematic persons, stated the SP. District Deputy Election Officer (DDEO) and Nandyal Sub-Collector Kalpana Kumari were also present in the press conference.