All set to Municipal Polls…ballot papers reached to Polling Stations

Tirupati: All set for Tirupati Municipal Corporation polls by the municipal officials. After 14 years temple city is going to witness the civic body polls. Ballot papers distribution was completed and election staff left to Poling Stations. In this connection Additional Election Authority PS Girisha, Urban SP Venkatappala Naidu and RDO K NarasaReddy are jointly working with coordination to conduct first Tirupati corporation elections in a smooth and peaceful manner. To monitor the election situation across the city MCT has set up one command control center for electioneering. At this centre online live watching through webcasting and CC Cameras facility was available. In the shift system police and municipal officials have posted to watch live updates in polling stations from the control room.

On Tuesday, municipal officials distributed ballot papers and boxes, ink and other election related materials to polling officials at SV Arts College distribution center in the city. From Morning 7am polling work was started here.

Officials set up 162 polling stations for around 1,40000 voters in 27 wards. As of now, officials are conducting elections to 27 wards only. One ward election was stopped by the SEC in view of forgery allegations. The remaining 22 wards were declared as unanimous. Total 50 division in Tirupati Municipal Corporation. In the mean while returning officers thoroughly checked polling stations over the arrangements for elections.

All the polling officers and Assistant Polling Officers left with election material to polling stations in the evening in APSRTC buses arranged by election officials.

As far as Law and Order maintenance is concerned Tirupati SP VenkatappalaNaidu alerted all DSPs and Cis for election bandobust and he directly visited many polling stations in the city for the last two days to know the situation where the chances to raise election conflicts. He gave a warning to all the trouble mongers in the city don't cross the election rules, If you violated the rules, you have to face further consequences. SP advised them not to get into trouble. SP claimed that police installed CC Cameras at every hyper sensitive and sensitive polling stations which the wards are vulnerable for election conflicts among the political parties during the municipal polls.

Police set up striking force, road opening parties, special striking forces to reach the polling stations within 2 to 3 minutes in any emergency to set right the situation at polling stations. After completion of the election ballot boxes will be collected at SV Arts College and they will be preserved till the 14 March on the day of counting.

Similarly, Chittoor Corporation and Madanapalle, Puttur and Nagari Municipalities are going to witness the urban local body polls. It may be noted that already in Punganur municipality all the wards were declared unanimous to YSRCP, where the AP PR Minister PeddiReddy Ramchandra Reddy is representing as MLA.

SEC is not conducting elections to Kuppam and Srikalahasti Municipalities due to legal and technical reasons.