The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the second phase of panchayat elections to be held in Krishna district on Saturday. In all, 6,89,553 voters will exercise their franchise in 2,838 polling stations from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Counting will begin at 2 p.m. the same day.
Officials transported election material and arranged necessary bandobust at the polling stations. Elections will be conducted in Vijayawada Rural, Ibrahimpatnam, Kankipadu, Penamaluru, Totlavalluru, Mylavaram, G. Konduru, Vatsavai, Kanchikacherla, Chandralapadu, Nandigama, Veerulapadu, Jaggaiahpeta, and Penuganchiprolu mandals.
Polling will be held for 225 sarpanch posts and 2,336 wards.
Twelve sarpanch candidates have been elected unanimously, while 292 contestants as wards members. In all 656 candidates are in the fray for sarpanch posts and 5,677 for ward member posts.
The City Police deployed 2,050 police personnel. Five special striking forces, ten striking forces, two Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), three additional DCPs, five Assistant Commissioners of Police, 35 Circle-Inspectors and 188 Sub-Inspectors and Assistant Sub-Inspectors have been posted for election bandobust, according to City Police Commissioner B. Srinivasulu.
Arrangements in place
In the second phase of the panchayat elections to be held in 19 mandals in Guntur division, 681 candidates are vying for 261 sarpanch posts and 5,246 for 2,343 ward member posts. Tight security has been made for smooth conduct of the elections. The forces deployed include Rapid Action Forces, CRPF and Karnataka Special Police from Bangalore. Besides, three Additional Superintendents of Police, 12 DSPs, Anti-Naxal squads, A.P Special Police and civil police, totalling about 4,000 are being sent to the villages, according to Superintendent of Police (rural) J. Satyanarayana.
