Final electoral roll has over 4.14 crore voters in Andhra Pradesh
AMARAVATI: Nearly 4.14 crore voters have been enrolled to cast their votes at 46,389 polling stations in Andhra Pradesh on May 13.
Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena told the media here on Thursday that, of these, 2.2 crore are male and 2.10 crore female in addition to service voters and the third gender. Some 5.94 lakh new voters were added in enrolment up to April 25.
There are 454 contestants for 25 Lok Sabha seats and 2,300 for the 175 Assembly seats. After an assessment of the threat perception to the contestants, 64 of them for the LS and 374 for the Assembly run would be provided security cover from this week.
Based on recommendations from state observers, 100 per cent webcasting of the election process would be arranged in 14 constituencies across the state and CRPF personnel will be posted at the polling stations.
Partial webcasting will be arranged at 29,897 polling stations.
The Election Commission has advised state election authorities to make arrangements to help the voters endure the heatwave conditions at the polling stations. Tents would be erected, drinking water, fans and air coolers would be arranged and first-aid kit and ORS packets would be provided.
The number of age-85-plus voters having eligibility for home voting and the specially-abled total 7.28 lakh. Of these, only 28,000 (3 per cent) opted for home voting.
Some Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies are having more number of contestants - like Visakhapatnam LS with 33 contestants, and Tirupati and Mangalagiri Assembly seats with 46 and 40 contestants respectively. The election authorities are arranging two to three ballot units based on requirement. They brought in 15,000 ballot units from Bengaluru to send them to six districts for the voting.
With regard to poll code violations, 864 FIRs have been registered so far while 16,345 complaints were received at cVIGIL app pertaining to electoral malpractices. Of these, 10,000 complaints have been verified and action initiated, Meena said. The election authorities seized cash, liquor, precious metals and freebies worth `203 crore so far. Pertaining to poll-related violence, two deaths occurred and 166 people sustained injuries.
Referring to the ECI order on freezing allotment of Jana Sena symbol ‘Glass Tumbler’ to Independents and other contestants from unrecognised political parties in Lok Sabha constituencies where JS is contesting and in their corresponding Assembly seats, the CEO said that contestants from seven Lok Sabha and eight Assembly segments were called and given other symbols, as they earlier took allotment of Glass Tumbler.
On distribution of social security pension, Meena said pension amounts for those having bank accounts and those who are aged and specially abled are to be given at their doorsteps.
