CEO urges people to cast vote without fear

Secretariat (Velagapudi): Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena has appealed to people across the state to exercise their franchise freely without fear. “Everyone should participate in the festival of democracy which happens once in every five years,” he said.

He called upon people from the Command Control Centre (CCC) here on Sunday to protect the democratic system by participating in the process of voting which is being conducted transparently and in a peaceful atmosphere.

Mukesh Kumar Meena said that 4.14 crore people including 2.03 crore men, 2.10 crore women and 3,421 transgender are going to cast their votes in the polling on Monday.

He said that 46,389 polling stations were set up across the state for the convenience of the voters and special security arrangements were made at 12,438 problematic polling stations.

Arrangements have been made to supervise 75 percent of the polling stations that is 31, 385 polling stations through webcasting in an attempt to achieve zero violence. The voting pattern would be continuously monitored through 26 monitors of all the 26 districts across the state. About 150 officials and the staff would work round the clock to supervise the situation.

In all 454 candidates contesting in the 25 parliamentary constituencies and 2,387 candidates are vying in 175 assembly constituencies across the state. About 1.6 lakh new EVMs were pressed into service for the 46,389 polling stations. In addition 20 percent more new EVMs were kept ready in case of emergency.

Efforts are being made to achieve 83 percent voting across the state as against the 79.84 percent in the last time elections. SVEEP programmes have been undertaken across the state to improve voting percentage.

Meena assured voters that facilities like drinking water, wheel chairs, ramps and first aid centres were kept at the polling stations. Separate queue lines were arranged for men and women and if necessary special queue lines would be arranged for senior citizens and differently-abled persons.