| Arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of polling in the
by-elections to the Tekkali Assembly constituency in Srikakulam
district on Thursday.
Arrangements reviewed
Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao, who reviewed the
arrangements with the district Collector and the Superintendent of
Police, said 1,245 polling personnel and 1,200 police had been deployed
along with 44 mobile and 12 striking forces to oversee the exercise.
Micro-observers and videography teams had been posted at 36 problem
polling stations to record goings-on there on the polling day. Mr. Rao
said the enforcement of law before the polling was such that 416
persons were bound over, 89 belt shops closed, 133 persons arrested for
running belt shops or keeping stocks of illicit liquor and 263 cases
booked.
Main contestants
Six candidates are in the race in the by-election though the contest
is mainly between nominees of the Congress (K. Bharati), Telugu Desam
(K. Atchan Naidu) and Duvvada Srinivas (Praja Rajyam).
About 1.75 lakh voters will exercise franchise through 400
electronic voting machines in 233 polling stations. Polling will be
held between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. and the vote counted at Srikakulam
Degree College from 8 a.m. onwards on September 14. |
