For the first time “None of the Above” (NOTA) option is part of the ballot paper for the Council election.
The ballot paper in the statutory Form 7B sent to the Election Commission (EC) comprises 30 nominees.
Dummy ballot
A dummy ballot paper will be printed and provided to the contestants after approval by the EC, District Collector and Returning Officer Pravin Kumar told reporters after a meeting with the nominees or their election agents here on Saturday.
The ballot paper has names in Telugu alphabetical order with names of recognised national parties first, followed by those of registered parties and then independents.
Adiraju Yedla of the Congress figures first, followed by BJP’s P.V.N. Madhav. Aja Sarma Avadhanula leads the list of independents.
The ballot paper will carry the photos of the nominees too.
CDs of the final voters’ list of 1,55,993 would also be provided to the contestants once they were received from the EC, he said. Voters’ slips would be distributed from March 1.
Representatives of political parties suggested that in view of the ballot paper-based voting awareness campaign would be launched from March 1 and a pamphlet released. During the distribution of voter slips too, the process will be explained. Only the marker pen provided by the presiding officer should be used for indicating the voter preference.
Contestants have asked that a computer be provided at the polling stations, at least in urban areas, for quickly locating the name of the voter at the polling station.
As the polling day was a working day, they had sought that a holiday be declared and a decision had to be taken by the EC. However, the polling time has been extended by two hours- up to 6 p.m.
DRO C. Chandrasekhar Reddy , who is the assistant returning officer, was present.
