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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

‘Micro observers’ for sensitive polling stations

Special Correspondent

They are being posted for the first time

HYDERABAD: For the first time in the State, “micro-observers” will be posted in polling stations identified as sensitive and vulnerable to naxalite troubles for the by-elections for dawn-to-dusk supervision of polling.

The Election Commission issued a directive to the State election authorities to draft the “micro-observers” from among the gazetted officers of the State/Central services in consultation with the district Collectors.

The micro-observers will record all the happenings at polling stations, including wrong-doings, if any, by the polling officials themselves. These observers will be in addition to the usual general/expenditure observers.

New rules

Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao told reporters on Wednesday that in all, 2,500 of the 9,072 polling stations in the 10 districts for the byelections had been identified as sensitive, and another 1,550 as prone to naxalite troubles.

All these stations would have micro-observers posted to them.

Citing new rules finalised by the Election Commission, Mr. Subba Rao said the temporary campaign office of the contestants would not be allowed within 200 metres of the polling station.

Mock polling

Any such temporary office would have to be closed two days before the polling day. Also, the polling officials manning the stations would have to conduct mock polling for half an hour before commending the actual polling to ensure proper functioning of the electronic voting machines and the system as a whole.

Mr. Subba Rao said Ministers would not be allowed to conduct departmental reviews with officials in the byelection areas.

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