Hyderabad: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bhanwar Lal said elaborate security arrangements were in place to conduct the Nandyal byelection on Wednesday. He told voters to exercise their right and vote without fear.
Speaking to the media on Monday, he said that the polling would take place from 7 am to 6 pm and counting of votes will take place on August 28. Voting slips had been distributed to all voters. The EVMs would provide a paper trail so that the voters would know whom they have voted for.
The paper would not be given to the voter, and would be retained in the machine. He said 2,500 security personnel had been posted in the constituency. Six companies of paramilitary forces had been deployed for security. He said 82 flying squads would check the 255 polling stations in Nandyal constituency.
Mr Bhanwar Lal warned the electronic media of action if they telecast false stories. He said all the outsiders should leave the Nandyal constituency after the end of campaign. Anyone violating the poll code of conduct would be dealt with strictly, he said. Bulk SMSs by political parties and other organisations have been banned.
So far, officials have seized Rs 1.18 crore relating to the byelection. To a question Mr Bhanwar Lal said that the Central Election Commission would take action over the comments made by YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
