Atmakur by-election campaign ends today, officials set up arrangements for polling

The Atmakur by-election campaign will end today at 5 pm and the polling will be conducted on June 23. Meanwhile, the officials have made all the arrangements and deployed 1300 staff. A three-tier security has been set up at the polling station with 1000 policemen and the Central Armed Forces.

The by-election to the Atmakur seat was inevitable as sitting MLA and minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy died of a heart attack on February 21. Vikram Reddy, brother of late minister Mekapati Gautam Reddy, has been fielded from YSRCP and another 11 candidates stood in the contest along with BJP. With the main opposition Telugu Desam Party is not in the fray for the by-elections, the contest will be mainly between the YCP and the BJP. Polling will be held on June 23 and counting will be held on June 26 and the election process will be completed by June 28.

State Election Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena had a special meeting with the nodal officials on Monday evening to review the election arrangements. He later met Collector Chakradhar Babu. The election official said that all arrangements have been made during the polling. Ramps and wheelchairs have been set up for the disabled and steps are being taken to rectify any technical problem at 279 polling stations. The Returning Officer directed that the lists of voters should be displayed at the polling stations to prevent fraudulent votes. He said 123 polling stations were identified as problematic.