The stage is all set for municipal polls to elect 58 municipal corporators for Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar on Friday as out of the total 60 divisions, two divisions’ corporators belonging to the TRS have been elected unanimously.
Though it is likely to be a close triangular fight between TRS, Congress and BJP candidates in majority of divisions, and it is likely to be multi-cornered contest in other divisions as MIM, TDP, CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and Independents too are in the fray.
After upgradation of Karimnagar municipality into corporation, the divisions have been increased from 36 to 50 divisions in 2005. Now in this election, the divisions have been increased to 60 with the merger of adjoining villages in the corporation. Buoyed with the victory of two divisions unanimously, the TRS is ahead of other parties in the electioneering.
The TRS alone fielded candidates from the 60 divisions of the MCK polls. While the Congress and BJP have confined to fielding of candidates only from 50 odd divisions. A total of 369 candidates have remained in fray from 58 divisions. Incidentally, 24 former corporators have also remained in fray in this election from various parties.
A total of 2,72,195 lakh voters would exercise their franchise in various polling stations from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Around 2,000 polling personnel have been deployed for the smooth conduct of polling. The authorities have deployed 90 buses for transporting the polling staff to the polling booths in the town.
Already, the polling personnel and material has been despatched to various polling stations on Thursday. Director of Municipal Administration Sridevi visited the distribution centre at SRR Government Degree and PG College and inspected the arrangements along with Collector K Shashanka and Commissioner of Police VB Kamalasan Reddy.
The police have made unprecedented security arrangements by deploying additional police forces at all polling stations and also in entire Karimnagar town. Following the identification of 82 sensitive polling stations, the police have decided to install CCTV cameras for close surveillance and take up webcasting of polling process in all the polling stations. The police had already imposed Section 144 in the town to avoid any untoward incident on the polling day.
The police had constituted special static forces at polling stations and striking forces to rush to the spot to meet any eventuality. Stating that the police had banned the use of cellular phones into the polling stations, the police had warned the parties of seizure of vehicles if they deploy them for the transportation of the voters in various localities.
