Stage set for Telangana elections: 3.26-Cr voters to choose from 2,290 candidates, schools & colleges closed for two days

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made preparations for the peaceful elections in Telangana on November 30. In all 3,26,02,799 voters will be electing 2,290 candidates who are in the fray in the 119 Assembly constituencies.

In all 221 women candidates are contesting in the single-phase election. The ECI has kept 60,000 ballet units (BUs) ready and another 14,000 BUs in reserve. Counting of the votes will take place on December 3.

As per the ECI data, 1,62,98,418 men and nearly equal number 1,63,01,705 of women voters will be casting their votes in this election. While 2,676 transgenders will also have a chance to participate in the democratic process, 9,99,667 new young voters (age 18-19) of which 5,70,274 are boys, 4,29,273 are girls and 120 are transgenders.

Similarly, there are 12 transgenders, 1,89,519 men, and 2,50,840 women voters in the 4,40,372 senior citizens, and 2,933 NRI voters are also ready to utilise their franchise this time. There are 5,06,921 differently-abled voters taking part this time.

The commission has identified 12,000 sensitive polling stations in the State and 1,800 in the Hyderabad city. A three-tier security blanket for the sensitive stations and five-tier security for the extra-sensitive polling stations has been created.

There are 600 polling stations located in the Maoist-infested areas of the state, such as Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Kothagudem, Asifabad, Ramagudam, Adilabad, Mahabubabad, Nirmal, Bhadrachalam, Bellampally, Kothagudem, Aswaraopet, Pinapaka, Yellendu, Manthani, Chennur and Sirpur.

In an election where 2.5 lakh strong election staff will man the polling booths, elections will start at 7 am and end one hour early by 4 pm in Sirpur, Chennur, Bellampally, Mancherial, Asifabad, Manthani, Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Pinapaka, Yellendu, Kothagudem, Aswaraopet and Bhadrachalam. Polling will start at 7 am and end at 5 pm, in the remaining 106 constituencies

Schools & colleges to remain closed

The Hyderabad collector has declared a two-day holiday on Wednesday and Thursday for all Government-run educational institutions under the jurisdiction of Hyderabad.

The district authorities declared holidays as the polling staff will have to make preparations for the elections a day before the polling on November 29, and the election will take place on November 30. The schools and colleges will reopen on December 1.