Hyderabad: Following the Election Commission of India’s announcement of the November 11 date for the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency, the model code of conduct came into effect at 4 pm on Monday across Hyderabad district which covers 15 Assembly constituencies. Teams have been deployed to prevent violations, including cash transactions. Officials have warned that anyone carrying more than Rs 50,000 in cash must provide valid proof of its source.
District electoral officer (DEO) and GHMC commissioner R.V. Karnan, speaking at a press conference on Monday along with city police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, said voters should verify their names in the electoral rolls and submit claims and objections if necessary. They can verify their names at the ERO office or through the following platforms: voters.eci.gov.in, ceotelangana.nic.in, the Voter Helpline App or by contacting BLOs. Claims and objections will be accepted up to t10 days before the last date for nominations, which is October 21. Toll-free helpline 1950 can be used.
Karnan said the polling would be held at 407 polling stations across 139 locations, with counting to take place at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Stadium in Yousufguda on November 14. The first-level checking of electronic voting machines (EVMs) had been completed. The DEO said that political parties and candidates must strictly adhere to the election code, warning that FIRs would be filed for any MCC violations. He also appealed to the public not to share fake or unverified information, especially relating to religion or EVMs.
Commissioner Sajjanar said that the city police were fully prepared for the peaceful conduct of the bypoll. Licensed gun holders must deposit their firearms and rowdy-sheeters will be bound over, he said, while urging the citizens to report any election code violations or suspicious activity by calling 100 or 112.
Meanwhile, with the MCC now in force, portraits of ministers have been removed from government offices, and political advertisements are being taken down. The official expenditure for the bypoll has been capped at `6 crore. Contesting candidates with criminal cases must publish details of their pending cases in three newspapers and three television channels. The EC also announced that vulnerability mapping of polling booths would be carried out with the help of local tehsildars, station house officers (SHOs) and booth-level officers (BLOs), based on past incidents.
Election Schedule
· Date of Gazette Notification: October 13
· Last Date for Nominations: October 21
· Scrutiny of Nominations: October 22
· Last Date for Withdrawal: October 24
· Date of Poll: November 11
· Counting of Votes: November 14
Voter Profile and Statistics
· General Electors: 3,98,982
– Male: 2,07,367 – Female: 1,91,590 – Others: 25
· Service Electors: 18
· Overseas (NRI) Electors: 95
· PwD Electors (specially abled): 1,891
· 80+ Electors: 6,052
· Average Voters per Polling Station: 980
Voter Identification
EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) will be the primary ID at polling stations.
Voters may alternatively use any of the following 12 approved documents:
1. Aadhaar card
2. MGNREGA job card
3. Bank/Post office passbook with photo
4. Health insurance smart card (Ministry of Labour/Ayushman Bharat)
5. Driving licence
6. PAN card
7. NPR smart card
8. Passport
9. Pension document with photo
10. Service ID with photo (Central/State/PSU/PLC employees)
11. Official ID card issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs
12. UDID card (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment)
Polling Arrangements
· Total Polling Stations: 407 (at 139 locations)
· BLOs: 407 | BLO Supervisors: 38
· Nodal Officers: 19 (for different election subjects)
· Sector Officers: 55 for 38 sectors (plus reserves)
· Polling Personnel: 2,400
– Presiding Officers: 600 – Asst. Presiding Officers: 600 – Other POs: 1,200
EVM and VVPAT Readiness
· Control Units (CU): 826
· Ballot Units (BU): 1,494
· VVPATs: 837
Security and MCC Enforcement
Enforcement teams deployed:
· Flying Squads – 9
· Static Surveillance Teams – 9
· Video Surveillance Teams – 2
· Video Viewing Teams – 2
· Accounting Teams – 4
Voter-Centric Measures
· PwD and 80+ electors: wheelchair support, pick-up and drop-off facility, and volunteer assistance.
· cVIGIL App: complaints on MCC violations to be addressed within 100 minutes.
· 24×7 DEO Control Room for voter grievance redressal.
Candidates’ Obligations
Candidates with criminal antecedents must publish details of their cases three times in three newspapers and three news channels during the campaign.
Political parties must publish the reasons for fielding such candidates on their websites, social media pages and in newspapers or on television within 48 hours of selection.
Information about contesting candidates will be made available on the ‘Know Your Candidate’ App.
Key Contacts
· DEO & Commissioner, GHMC: R. V. Karnan – 79934 25555
· RO: Sai Ram (RDO, Secunderabad) – 90634 23937
· ERO & ARO: G. R. Reddy (Dy. Commissioner, Circle 19) – 63099 20618
· AROs:
– Syed Yahiya Kamal (AMC) – 79898 23354
– Praseedha (ACP) – 97049 18716
– A. Balraj (AMC) – 99635 50433
– M. Prem Kumar (Tahsildar) – 90634 23988
– Mohd Azharuddin (Naib Tahsildar) – 99493 61912
