Collector issues notification for local body polls

Chittoor: Collector Solomon Arokia Raj issued notification on Wednesday for local body elections, which are scheduled to take place in three phases on July 23, 27 and 31. He exuded confidence that the polling process would be completed peacefully as police security arrangements are in full swing. Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, he said that the polling will be in a phased manner for all the three revenue divisions. About 38,000 new voters were included into the fresh voter list during this month, he said. In all, 21,24,606 voters will exercise their franchise in three revenue divisions to elect their representative in local body polls, he said. In first phase, the polling will be held in Tirupati revenue division on July 23, in which 5,55,041 voters will cast their votes, he said. In Tirupati division, the polling will be for 393 grama panchayats, in which 3,586 wards are present. Hence, the district administration has identified 3,626 polling stations, he said. They have identified 112 routes to transport ballot papers and other polling material in this division, he said. Polling will be between 7am and 1 pm and each polling station will have two armed police constables to monitor the polling, he said. Web cameras will be installed at sensitive polling stations and identification process is still in progress and can be finalised soon, he said. They are taking all violent incidents during the previous local body polls into consideration to maintain zero violence in the ensuing elections, he pointed out. Candidates can file their nominations from July 9 to 13 and scrutiny will take place on July 15, the Collector said. Candidates can withdraw their nominations on July 17 and the final list of candidates will be announced on the same day after 5pm, he informed. The counting process will begin soon after the completion of polling. For instance the counting of votes will be on July 23 evening onwards in Tirupati division and will be on July 27 in Chittoor division and on July 31 for Madanapalle division, he explained. The Madanapalle division has highest number of voters compared to Tirupati and Chittoor divisions, he said. In Madanapalle division, the number of voters is 10, 43,856, where as these voters will elect 5,266 ward members in 499 grama panchayats, he said. In this division 164 routes were identified to transport the polling material to all 5,367 polling stations, he said. In Chittoor division, the voters are 5,43,856 in all 4,250 wards of 465 grama panchayats, he said. Altogether, 20,000 polling staff will be on election duty and senior IAS officers Savyasachi Ghosh, Principal Secretary of Industries, and Kishore, BC Corporation Managing Director, have been appointed as election observers to these elections, the Collector said. Conservator of forests PV Chalapathi Rao will be special observer to these polls to monitor the expenses made by candidates for elections, the Collector said.