Krishna and NTR districts are fully geared up for the general election polling scheduled on Monday. Authorities in both districts have finalised all preparations to oversee the polling across 14 Assembly constituencies, including the prominent Machilipatnam and Vijayawada Lok Sabha segments. Voting will commence promptly at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm.
Polling staff have already reached their designated polling stations in the respective assembly constituencies of both districts, accompanied by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), and other necessary polling materials, ahead of the election day. A total of 3,560 polling stations have been set up to accommodate approximately 32,43,537 eligible voters across the two districts.
Under the directives of Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukhesh Kumar, Election Officers cum Collectors of both districts are aiming for an 85% voter turnout in both urban and rural areas. In the past two elections, the voter turnout in the NTR district has not surpassed 80%.
In the 2019 elections, the average voter turnout was 77.14%, while it was 76.64% in the 2014 elections. Conversely, Krishna district witnessed higher voter participation with an average of 83.70% in the 2019 elections and 83.48% in the 2014 elections. Therefore, the administrations of NTR and Krishna districts are targeting an average voter turnout of 85% this time.
Efforts are being made by authorities to minimize the need for repolling by ensuring strict vigilance at all polling stations to prevent any untoward incidents. Security arrangements for the general election are being closely monitored by Krishna District Collector DK Balaji, Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi, NTR District Collector Dr. S Dilli Rao, and Police Commissioner PHD Ramakrishna.
207 candidates in fray
According to reports from the Election Commission, a total of 207 candidates are contesting across the Machilipatnam and Vijayawada Lok Sabha segments, as well as the 14 Assembly constituencies. Vijayawada Central constituency has the highest number of contenders with around 20 candidates, except for the Nuzvid and Kaikaluru segments.
In contrast, the Parru assembly constituency has the least number of candidates with 8 contestants in the district. Notably, 15 candidates are vying in the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha segment and 17 in the Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency.
NTR Dist: 17.04 lakh voters,
1,792 polling stations
A total of 1,792 polling stations have been arranged across all seven assembly constituencies within the Vijayawada Lok Sabha segment in the NTR district to facilitate voters in casting their ballots. According to the final electoral roll,
Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency comprises a total of 17,04,077 voters, with 8,73,427 female voters and 8,30,499 male voters. Among the seven assembly constituencies, the Mylavaram segment has the highest number of voters, with 2,81,732 individuals, including 1,44,892 female voters and 1,36,740 male voters. Accordingly, 296 polling stations have been set up in the district.
Similarly, the Vijayawada Central constituency has 2,77, 724 voters (Male-1,34,829, Female-1,42,845) and 267 polling booths have been arranged. The Vijayawada East segment comprises a total of 2,70,624 voters, with 1,32,441 male voters and 1,38,160 female voters, and 298 polling stations have been established.
Additionally, Vijayawada West has 2,55,963 voters (Male-1,26,634, Female-1,29,296) and 267 polling stations, Tiruvuru (SC) has 2,07,190 voters (Male-1,01,994, Female-1,05,190) and 234 polling stations, Nandigama (SC) has 2,05,480 voters (Male-99,398, Female-1,06,076) and 222 polling stations, and Jaggayyapet assembly constituency has a total of 2,05,364 voters, with 98,463 male voters and 1,06,888 female voters. The Elections Commission has arranged 222 polling stations for these voters.
Krishna dist: 15.39 lakh voters, 1,768 polling stations
According to the final electoral roll, Krishna district, encompassing the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha segment, has approximately 15,39,460 eligible voters, including 7,46,332 male voters and 7,93,332 female voters. The Penamaluru assembly constituency holds the highest number of electors in the district, totalling 2,94,928, with 1,42,349 male voters and 1,52,577 female voters. Consequently, 306 polling stations have been established.
Similarly, the Gannavaram segment has 2,79,954 voters, comprising 1,34,226 male voters and 1,44,816 female voters. Additionally, Avanigadda has 2,12,331 voters (Male-1,04,568, Female-1,07,745), Gudivada has 2,04,271 voters (Male-97,710, Female-1,06,550), Machilipatnam has 1,96,680 voters (Male-94,788, Female-1,01,881), Pamarru has 1,84,632 voters (Male-89,422, Female-95,207), and the Pedana segment has a total of 1,67,564 voters, with 83,008 male voters and 84,556 female voters.
