Arrangements in place for June 12 bypoll in Vizag

Visakhapatnam, Jun 10: All arrangements have been completed for smooth and fair bypoll for Payakaraopeta (SC) Assembly constituency in the district on June 12, the campaigning for which ends today evening.

The star campaigners and top leaders of the respective parties will not be allowed into the constituency after 1700 hrs today as the campaign will end 48 hours before the polling from this evening, Election Officer and District Collector Lav Agarwal told reporters here today.

Bulk SMSes and door-to-door campaign will not be allowed from today evening. The polling will be held from 0800 hours to 1700 hours on June 12 and the counting will take place on June 15 from 0800 hours, he said.

Payakaroapeta (SC) constituency has an electorate of 2,02,681 with 1,02,790 women and 271 service-voters, Agarwal said. The administration had completed first and second round of training classes for the polling, he said.

As many as 231 polling stations will be set up and micro-observer will be placed at every polling station to oversee the election process, he said. Sufficient EVMs will be available for the election for all the 231 polling stations.

Video graph and web casting will be set up in every polling station. SP, Visakhapatnam (Rural), G Srinivasa Rao said more than 2,000 police personnel will be deployed for the election bandobust.

He said so far 16 cases were booked for violation the model code of conduct, while Rs 51 lakh cash, 4,146 cellphones and 2,702 liquor bottles were seized by police in the constituency.

Striking forces will be deployed in all the four mandals and check-posts in the constituency will be under police surveillance, he said.

PTI