Civic Poll Campaign to End Today, Secret Outreach Begins

Hyderabad: With the campaign for the high-stakes February 11 civic body elections to seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalities ending on Monday, candidates have intensified their voter outreach efforts by clandestinely supplying chicken and mutton biryani and liquor, along with model ballot papers bearing their names and party symbols. Women voters were offered free items, such as saris.

Aides of some candidates, especially those aspiring for the posts of municipality chairpersons and mayors at municipal corporations, were reportedly seen distributing cash to voters.

Counting of votes will be held on February 13; on February 16, the winners will elect the chiefs of civic bodies — chairpersons and vice chairpersons of municipalities and mayors and deputy mayors at municipal corporations.

The police across districts have set up special checkpoints at inter-district borders and inter-state borders to prevent illegal transportation of liquor and. The State Election Commission has set up a call centre at the head office in Hyderabad for reporting such incidents at 9247597066. This facility is available till February 9 night.

The commission wrote to the commissioner of municipal administration and district collectors to take measures for conducting a special meeting with the officials for conducting indirect elections for the chairperson, vice-chairperson of municipalities and mayor and deputy mayor of municipal corporations.