Guntur Civic Polls: 3,576 Personnel Deployed, 207 Sensitive Booths Identified
Distribution of voter slips has reached 85 per cent, while special help desks will function at every polling station on polling day.
Vijayawada:The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has completed arrangements for the November 1 general elections, with 3,576 polling personnel and 1,500 police personnel being deployed to ensure peaceful and transparent polling across 76 wards. GMC Commissioner and Additional Election Authority K. Mayur Ashok said on Friday that 596 polling stations had been established for the 6,18,714 registered voters in the city. The electorate comprises 3,00,471 men, 3,18,164 women and 79 voters from other categories.
All polling stations have been provided with basic amenities, including drinking water, electricity, toilets, shade, barricades and ramps for persons with disabilities. Distribution of voter slips has reached 85 per cent, while special help desks will function at every polling station on polling day.
Voters can obtain information about their polling stations by contacting the dedicated helpline 0863 2345103 between 9 am and 5 pm on Saturday. They can also check their details through the State Election Commission's website.
The election authorities have identified 207 problematic polling stations, including 93 sensitive and 114 hyper-sensitive booths. To ensure continuous surveillance, 414 web cameras have been installed at these locations, with a dedicated control room set up at the GMC headquarters to monitor the polling process.
The commissioner inspected a trial run of polling material distribution at Andhra Muslim College on Friday. He said the exercise would help ensure smooth distribution without delays on Saturday and instructed officials to streamline counters and queues. He also asked traffic police to prevent congestion around the distribution centre.
As many as 27 returning officers, including one for the mayoral election, and 77 assistant returning officers will oversee the process. Thirteen zonal officers and 61 route officers have also been appointed. The polling arrangements include 596 presiding officers, 596 assistant presiding officers and 2,384 other polling personnel. Another 2,000 GMC officials and staff will assist with election-related duties.
Special vehicles and route maps have been arranged to transport ballot boxes and polling material securely to the polling stations. After polling, the ballot boxes will be shifted to strong rooms at Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU), where three-tier police security will be provided.
Counting will be held on November 3 at the ANU Engineering College. Arrangements have been made for 50 counting halls and 468 tables, with 2,160 personnel assigned to the exercise. Mayur Ashok urged voters to exercise their franchise and cooperate with the authorities for the smooth conduct of the elections.
