TIRUPATI: The process for scrutiny of nominations filed by candidates to contest as MLCs from Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor graduates and teachers’ constituencies ended on Friday.
Following the scrutiny, 23 out of 30 candidates have been left in fray for graduates’ constituency, while eight will contest from the teachers’ constituency. Voting for both the constituencies will be held on March 13.
All eyes are now on withdrawal of nominations, which will be allowed till 3 p.m. on February 27, Monday. Thereafter, the final list of contesting candidates will be declared.
Returning officer and Chittoor district collector M. Hari Narayanan said scrutiny of nominations had been completed in the presence of election observers K. Bhaskar and K. Shashidhar.
From graduates’ constituency, apart from 20 independent candidates, K. Srikanth Chaudhary (42) of Telugu Desam from Nellore District, S. Jagadeeswara Naidu (36) of BJP from Tirupati district and Shyam Prasad Reddy (50) of YSR Congress, also from Tirupati district, are in fray.
All candidates vying for the teachers’ constituency have filed their nominations as independents. They are Gurram Ramamurthy (66) of Chittoor district, Chandrasekhar Reddy Parvatha Reddy (51), Praveena Parvatha Reddy (44), Kuttuboina Brahmanandam (54), Babureddy Pokkireddy (58), Chinnaramana Reddy Lakku (53), L Anasuyamma (49) of Nellore district, and Dhanunjaya Sivayogi (43) of Annamaiah District.
The returning officer said there are 3.83 lakh voters in the six districts of graduates’ constituency for whom 453 polling stations will be set up for casting of votes. There are about 27,000 voters in teachers’ constituency for whom 170 polling stations are being set up.
Hari Narayanan said the last date for withdrawal of nominations is February 27, post which the final list of candidates will be released.
Voting will be using paper ballots.
