Andhra by-polls: Voting in Telangana begins

Hyderabad: Polling for 12 Assembly constituencies in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, where by-elections were necessitated following the resignation of sitting MLAs in support of the separate statehood demand, began at 0700 hours on Tuesday.

For the first time after 1998, ballot papers staged a comeback in the bypolls.

With the total number of candidates exceeding the maximum limit of 64 for an EVM, the EC was forced to conduct the polling with ballot papers in five constituencies. EVMs cannot be used with the existing technology if the total number of nominees is over 64.

Consequently, ballot boxes are being used in Yellareddy, Koratla, Sircilla, Huzurabad and Warangal West, while it is EVMs as usual in Sirpur, Chennur (SC), Mancherial,

Nizamabad Urban, Dharmapuri (SC), Vemulawada and Siddipet.

State Congress president D Srinivas, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao's son K T Rama Rao are among the prominent candidates who are in fray for the polls.

The total number of electors in the 12 assembly segments is 23,59,228 that includes 11,75,117 men and 11,84,111 women.

According to state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) I V Subba Rao, 1582 EVMs and 1201 ballot boxes are being used for polling. The total number of polling stations is 2,783.

The total number of contesting candidates is 435 that include 72 in seven seats where EVMs are being used and 363 in five segments where polling is on with ballot papers.

The EC has identified 450 polling stations as hyper-sensitive and 460 as sensitive. In addition to available district police forces, 80 companies of Central Para-Military

Forces (CPMF) are providing security to the exercise.

Subba Rao said 12 Central observers and 2783 micro-observers would oversee the polling process. The number of polling officers is 13,915.

The EC is doing videography in the polling stations and 2,039 video cameras have been provided for the purpose.

For the first time, the CEO has provided 3G mobile phones to polling officials in Nizamabad and Warangal to obtain quick footage on polling. The counting of votes will be taken up on July 30.