more-in The Chief Electoral Officer’s office has completed rationalisation of polling stations in different districts across the State including Hyderabad marking the completion of a major task in its preparedness for elections, whenever they are held. The State, which went to polls with 31,253 polling stations in 2014 elections, will now have 32,573 polling stations, an increase of 1,320. Rangareddy district witnessed an increase of 163 polling stations followed by Hyderabad 159 and Mahabubnagar 152 while the number of additional polling stations in the remaining districts did not cross double digit mark. Though it was anticipated that the number could be much higher, the authorities concerned took steps to ensure that the stations are located in the close vicinity of electors. Accordingly, several polling stations, particularly those in the rural areas where the strength of voters was well within the prescribed limits, had been merged with those located nearest to them resulting in drop in the number. The authorities concerned took care to ensure that all the new polling stations are set up in the government-owned buildings like schools and Anganwadi centres so that the election authority is not forced to scout for private premises to conduct the elections. With the rationalisation process completed by and large, authorities have now focussed on taking steps to comply with the guidelines of “accessible voting” as mandated by the Election Commission of India to ensure that all the electors including aged persons and persons with disabilities did not face any inconvenience in approaching the polling stations to exercise their franchise. Discussions would be initiated with the Roads and Buildings Department for completing works like putting up ramps for easy movement of persons with disabilities in and out of the polling stations located in the districts. The engineering division of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation will be entrusted with the responsibility of completing the modalities that are required within the GHMC limits. “We are confident that the conduct of elections whenever they are held will be a smooth affair,” a senior official told The Hindu. The election authority is gearing up to publish the draft electoral rolls 2019 on September 1 calling for objections and suggestions, if any, and this would be followed by meetings with representatives of all political parties before the final rolls are published on January 4. “We will utilise the electoral rolls of 2018 if the election is held in the interim by making necessary additions and deletions that will be allowed till one week before the filing of nominations,” the official said.

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