Andhra Pradesh: Elections for PNC graduate, teacher MLC seats today

TIRUPATI: Combined districts of Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor will witness polling on Monday from 8 am to 4 pm for their two MLC seats – one from the teachers and the other from graduates’ constituency.

According to Chittoor district collector and returning officer M. Hari Narayanan, there are total 3,81,181 voters in the graduate constituency and 27,694 voters for the teachers’ seat. Total 22 candidates are contesting from the graduate constituency and eight are in fray for the teachers’ seat. There are 453 polling centres for graduates’ and 176 centres for teachers spread over Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor districts, so that voters can exercise their franchise.

“All necessary arrangements, including deployment of security forces and webcasting in problematic voting stations, have been made to ensure peaceful voting. To exercise their right to vote, voters must carry one of the 12 photo identity cards, as suggested by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Only the pen mandated for use by ECI should be used for marking the ballot paper,” Hari Narayanan pointed out.

He said 98 percent of voter slips have already been issued to the electors. Counting of votes will be on March 16.

Ruling YSRC Congress, opposition Telugu Desam and Progressive Democratic Front, which presently holds the two MLC seats, are vying to capture the two constituencies during Monday’s polling.

The main candidates from the teacher's constituency are YSRC’s P. Chandrasekar Reddy, PDF’s P. Babu Reddy, and AP United Teachers Federation-backed candidate L.C. Ramana Reddy.

In graduates’ constituency, an intense competition is expected between YSRC candidate Pernati Shyam Prasad Reddy and TD nominee K. Srikanth.