Electioneering for the second phase of the ZPTC and MPTC elections reached a feverish pitch as candidates from the YSR Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and others made a last-ditch effort to win over the voters as the poll campaign came to a close on Wednesday evening.
As many as 9.42 lakh voters including 4.71 lakh women will decide the fate of 969 candidates, including 363 from the YSRC and the TDP each, the main contenders for the polls to 374 MPTCs on Friday as six MPTC candidates were elected unopposed.
In the raceAs many as 100 candidates including 28 from the TDP and 27 from the YSRC are in the fray for 28 ZPTCs going to polls on Friday when the electoral fortunes of TDP aspirants for the Chairman's post M. Ravindra and Edara Haribabu will also be decided. The ruling Congress is out of the power game as it had fielded its nominees only for seven ZPTCs and 35 MPTCs.
Poll arrangementsArrangements are in place for webcasting of the election proceedings at 132 hypersensitive polling stations by roping in engineering students, Prakasam Collector G.S.R.K.R.Vijaykumar said while briefing the media here on Wednesday. The polling process would be videographed in 90 other hypersensitive polling booths.
Determined to curb the use of money and liquor by candidates to influence the voters, the Collector urged the people to inform the administration about electoral malpractice by dialling the toll-free number 1077. One flying squad each has been deployed for every two mandals and in case of sensitive and hypersensitive ones static squads has been entrusted to oversee the proceedings.
