EC Takes Special Efforts to Conduct Polls in Telangana’s Nizamabad

EC had directed that only EVMs to be used Nizamabad constituency, where 185 candidates are in the fray.

Layout of EVMs in polling booths in Nizamabad parliamentary constituency. 

(Photo altered by The Quint)

The Election Commission (EC) has deployed a massive assortment of polling staff and machinery to conduct election in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat in Telangana where a total of 185 candidates are in the fray, the poll panel said in a press release on Thursday, 4 April.

According to the release, a team of EC officials led by Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha met the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Telangana, Rajat Kumar and other officials on 1 and 2 April, where they reviewed special arrangements made for the conduct of elections in Nizamabad constituency.

The team also witnessed a live demonstration of the working of EVMs using 12 ballot units and discussed the logistic requirements and various other EVM protocols.

After the meetings, Sinha held a press briefing and expressed satisfaction on the arrangements being made in the state for the conduct of parliamentary elections. During the press meeting, Sinha also noted that Telangana will create history by conducting elections with 185 candidates.

Meanwhile, a PTI report stated that as many as 25,000 ballot units, 2,000 control units and VVPAT machines and a team of 750 engineers have been deployed as part of a “first-ever” measure to conduct polls in the Nizamabad constituency of Telangana.

The current developments came days after EC directed CEO Telangana to make arrangements for conduct of elections in Nizamabad constituency, where 185 candidates including over 170 farmers are in the fray.

Although it was reported that ballot papers would be for the parliamentary polls in Nizamabad, EC later clarified saying, “only EVMs to be used.”

Telangana, which has 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, goes to polls in the first phase on 11 April.

(With inputs from PTI)