Hyderabad, Nov 9 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India has finalized all preparations to ensure a peaceful, free, and fair voting process for the byelection in Telangana's Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency this Tuesday, as confirmed by officials. Over four lakh voters are set to cast their votes across 407 polling stations, as stated by Hyderabad District Election Officer R. V. Karnan during a press briefing on Sunday, following the conclusion of the campaign period.

In total, 58 candidates are competing in this byelection, necessitated by the passing of the incumbent MLA, Maganti Gopinath of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Karnan indicated that 2,060 polling personnel will be deployed, which includes 515 polling officers and a corresponding number of assistant polling officers. Given the significant number of candidates, each polling station will be equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) comprising one Control Unit (CU), four Ballot Units (BUs), and one VVPAT. Specifically, there will be 561 CUs, 2,394 BUs, and 595 VVPATs available.

In case of emergencies, 40 engineers/technicians from the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) will be on hand. The constituency boasts a total of 401,365 registered voters, including 208,561 males, 192,779 females, and 25 others.

Interestingly, there are 6,859 voters aged 18-19 years, while 2,134 voters are over 85 years old. Notably, 103 absentee voters (aged over 85 and persons with disabilities) have opted for postal ballots, with 101 successfully utilizing this option.

With 407 polling stations housed in 139 buildings, the average number of voters per polling station stands at 986. Live streaming of the polling process will be facilitated through webcasting at all locations.

To assist voters, mobile deposit counters will be available at each polling station, allowing individuals to deposit their mobile phones before voting and to retrieve them afterward.

The Election Commission has designated 19 nodal officers to oversee various election-related matters, supplemented by 38 sector officers tasked with closely monitoring the election process and ensuring law and order.

A district intelligence committee has been established, incorporating personnel from police, excise, income tax, narcotics, GST, transport, postal services, aviation, commercial tax, and banking.

The Hyderabad Police Commissioner is deploying a special task force to ensure robust security at all polling stations, along with mobile squads for law enforcement monitoring.

The district Collectors of Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri have declared that the day before polling (November 10), polling day (November 11), and counting day (November 14) will be recognized as paid holidays for establishments housing polling stations and counting centers.

In the lead-up to the election, 27 violations of the Model Code of Conduct have been recorded, and poll authorities have seized ₹3.60 crore from October 6 to November 8.