The Collector and District Election Officer, Bharathi Hollikeri, explained the measures being taken to ensure free and fair elections in Rangareddy district. The district has a population of 48,97,840 people spread across eight assembly constituencies. There are a total of 35,23,219 voters and 3453 polling stations. In addition to the polling stations, there are also 84 auxiliary polling stations with a strength of over 1500 voters.
Surprisingly, Maheshwaram constituency has a significant number of auxiliary polling stations, while other constituencies with similar or more voters have very few or none. The collector explained the measures being taken to prevent violations and discrepancies during the polling process.
There have been complaints about the distribution of voter slips in some assembly constituencies, but the field level polling staff is working to resolve these issues. Voters can seek help from the nodal officers and Booth level officers if they have any issues with their voter slips.
Webcasting is being introduced for the first time in four assembly segments in the district. This will help monitor the polling process in every polling booth in these constituencies. Additionally, each critical polling station will have at least two cameras to keep a close watch on the process.
The election commission has also rolled out a pick-and-drop service for people with disabilities and polling staff to ensure their safety after voting and performing their duties. It is important for voters to exercise their franchise freely and without apprehensions.
During a press briefing, there were two power disruptions lasting about 15 minutes in total.
