Kadapa: Badvel bypoll today

Kadapa: The byelections to the Badvel Assembly constituency in the district will be held on Saturday with police making elaborate security arrangements. The polling will be held from 7 am to 7 pm, a senior official of the State government said.

The seat fell vacant following the death of ruling YSR Congress Party legislator Gunthoti Venkata Subbaiah in March. The party has fielded Subbaiah's widow Sudha as its candidate while the Opposition Telugu Desam Party announced that it would not nominate anyone to the by-poll respecting the widow of the demised legislator terming it "traditional values".

BJP's candidate Suresh Panathala supported by actor Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party is in the fray while Congress nominated P Kamalamma as its candidate.

Counting of votes will be taken up on November 2.

According to Kadapa Superintendent of Police KKN Anburajan, as many as 281 polling stations for the by-poll were set up out of which 148 have been identified as "critical."

"Over 2,000 police personnel including central armed police forces have been deployed at all necessary places," the police said. The constituency has over 2.16 lakh eligible voters.