All arrangements in place for MLC polls in north Andhra

Visakhapatnam: Returning Officer and district collector A Mallikarjuna said that 37 candidates will be in fray in the MLC elections. Addressing the media here on Monday, he explained that 331 polling centres have been arranged across north Andhra, including 59 in Srikakulam district, 72 in Vizianagaram, 24 in Parvathipuram (Manyam), 15 in Alluri Sitarama Raju, 112 in Visakhapatnam and 49 in Anakapalli. As many as 2.89 lakh voters will cast their vote in north Andhra region. This figure includes 52,256 in Srikakulam district, 58,502 in Vizianagaram, 18,520 in Parvathipuram Manyam, 11,525 in Alluri Sitarama Raju, 1,05,697 in Visakhapatnam district and 42,714 in Anakapalli.

In all, 112 webcasting web cameras will be arranged in all polling centres and 11 flying squads per mandal have been set up for the elections. The collector said that polling will be held on March 13 from 8 am to 4 pm. Tokens will be given to those who remain in the queues after 4 pm to exercise their franchise. Later, the ballot boxes will be shifted to Swarna Bharathi Indoor Stadium in Visakhapatnam wherein 28 counting tables and a table for the returning officer to carry out the counting exercise scheduled on March 16.

Police commissioner Ch Srikanth said that 1,162 police personnel will be deployed for smooth conduct of the elections. On the polling day alone, 840 police will be deployed, the CP informed. He said that special striking forces will be formed and the district reserve force will be made available. He said that Central paramilitary forces will be deployed at the Swarna Bharathi Indoor Stadium to provide security to the ballot boxes till counting. Election observer Siddharth Jain also participated in the conference.