The stage is set for the conduct of the elections to Zilla Parishad (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC).
Elections are being planned for the posts of 5,817 MPTCs and 583 ZPTCs in three phases extending up to May 14. As many as 1.56 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise through ballot papers in 32,007 polling stations spread across the State and the election authority, the Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC), had decided to enrol over 1.5 lakh employees for election duties till the last phase of polling. The polling stations would be set up in 13,651 locations while the authorities have decided to set up 510 distribution centres and 129 counting centres to facilitate smooth conduct of the polls.
The TSEC has decided to go ahead with the poll process after obtaining the consent of the Election Commission as the model code of conduct for the recent Lok Sabha elections continues to be in force. The Election Commission which did not object to the conduct of the polls, however, made clear that the results of the local bodies’ elections should be announced after the declaration of the results for the 17 Lok Sabha seats.
ADVERTISEMENT
Staff shortage
In addition, the TSEC should take adequate care to see that there is no staff shortage till the completion of the Lok Sabha elections because of polls to the local bodies.
Accordingly, the TSEC will release the schedule for conduct of the three-phased elections on April 20 which would be followed by release of notification on April 22.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to tentative schedule, elections would be held for 212 ZPTCs and 2,365 MPTCs in the first phase on May 6. The notification for the second phase, covering 199 ZPTCs and 2,109 MPTCs, is expected to be issued on April 26 and polling would be held on May 10 and the notification for the third and final phase for elections to 124 ZPTCs and 1,343 MPTCs is likely to be issued on April 30 with May 14 as polling day.
The TSEC has appointed senior IAS, IPS and IFS officers as observers to all the 33 districts. This is in addition to the expenditure observers drafted from the audit and account wings for monitoring the election expenditure related issues.
Smooth conduct
State Election Commissioner V. Nagi Reddy conducted a meeting with the district collectors and superintendents of police of all the districts to review the arrangements that are being made for the smooth conduct of the election. Senior officials led by Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi and Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy, who attended the meeting, assured their cooperation in the successful conduct of the polls.
Meanwhile, the TSEC has suspended over 311 members who contested as ZPTC members and were defeated in the previous elections as they failed to submit their election expenditure reports despite several reminders. Also, 1,331 members who unsuccessfully contested as MPTC members were disqualified.