Atmakur by-election: Collector Chakradhar Babu monitors the election process through webcasting

Nellore, June 23: Polling has started at Atmakur on Thursday at 7 am and will continue up to 6 pm. 14 candidates are in the fray and the contest is between the ruling YSR Congress candidate Mekapati Vikram Reddy and the BJP candidate G Bharat Kumar. TDP has not fielded its candidate this election. 2,13,400 voters are going to exercise their franchise in all six Mandals in which 1,06,021 are male, 1,07,368 are female and 11 third gender voters in the entire segment.

Around 1,339 polling personnel have been deployed at 279 polling booths and the district administration has completed distribution of more than 90 pc of voter slips to electors in the segment.

District police identified 131 vulnerable polling stations among 279 in the segment and made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of polls. 1,500 police personnel were deployed along with 11 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and AP Special Police battalions are deputed for election duty today.

SP Ch Vijaya Rao said sections 144 and 30 of the Police Act are in force at polling locations and 38 mobile parties, 6 flying squads, 6 SST/check posts, 6 MCC teams, and 23 striking forces are in place for monitoring the by-poll. CCTV cameras and body-worn cameras are being used for preventing any untoward incidents, he added. 82.44 pc of polling registered in 2019 general election in constituency.

District Election Officer and Collector KVN Chakradhar Babu is monitoring the polling process from Nellore through webcasting since the start of the process. 6 model polling booths have been arranged in the constituency. Further, counting is going to be held on June 26.