CM Chandrababu mourns polling officer Harita's death on duty
Synopsis
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu mourned the death of Smt. Harita, a 58-year-old teacher-turned-polling officer who died after a respiratory crisis at a polling centre in Anantapur's Kuderu mandal, and pledged government support to her family.
Key Takeaways
Harita , aged 58 , died while performing polling duties at Kadadarakunta polling centre , Kuderu mandal, Anantapur district.
She was a Secondary Grade Teacher at MPUP School, Poolakulthy village , D.
She suffered a respiratory crisis on duty; a medical team rushed her to Kuderu Primary Health Centre where she died despite emergency treatment.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressed condolences and assured the family of full government support.
Indian elections routinely deploy school teachers as polling officers under Election Commission of India guidelines.
A teacher who answered the call of democracy did not come home. Smt. Harita, a 58-year-old Secondary Grade Teacher, collapsed while performing polling duties at the Kadadarakunta polling centre in Kuderu mandal, Anantapur district, and died after emergency treatment failed to save her — prompting Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to express his grief and pledge government support to her family.
The Chief Minister's Office confirmed that Naidu expressed deep sorrow over Harita's death, extended heartfelt condolences to her family, and assured them that the government would stand by them 'in every possible way.' He also prayed for peace for her soul.
From a village classroom to a polling booth
Harita was a Secondary Grade Teacher at the MPUP School in Poolakulthy village, D. Hirehal mandal, Anantapur district. Like tens of thousands of government school teachers across India, she had been deployed as a polling officer — a standard Election Commission practice that draws heavily on the state's teaching workforce to staff polling centres during elections. On the day of polling, she reported for duty at the Kadadarakunta polling centre in Kuderu mandal, a location outside her home jurisdiction. Mid-duty, she suffered a respiratory crisis. The medical team stationed at the polling centre acted swiftly, rushing her to the Kuderu Primary Health Centre. Despite emergency treatment, she could not be saved.A loss embedded in a larger pattern
Harita's death underscores a quiet but recurring reality of Indian elections: the enormous human burden placed on government staff, particularly teachers, who are mandated to serve as polling personnel. Election duty postings often take them far from their home areas, away from their personal physicians and familiar support systems. Deaths during election duty — from health emergencies, exhaustion, or accidents — are not unprecedented, and they typically trigger formal condolence statements and, in many cases, ex-gratia compensation to the bereaved families. The Andhra Pradesh government's assurance of full support to Harita's family follows this established administrative pattern. Whether a formal ex-gratia payment or other relief will be announced remains to be formalised. Smt. Harita served the state inside a classroom and, on her last day, at a polling booth. The two are not so different — both are places where the Indian republic asks ordinary citizens to do the essential, unsung work of keeping it alive.Point of View
Who are routinely drafted into polling duty with little say in the matter. Chief Minister Naidu's condolence and assurance of family support follow a well-established administrative script — but the deeper policy question is whether the state has adequate health screening and medical infrastructure to protect personnel deployed far from home. If Andhra Pradesh announces a formal ex-gratia payment, it will fit a broader trend of state governments institutionalising compensation for election-duty casualties — a recognition, however belated, that electoral service carries real personal risk.
NationPress
5 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Smt. Harita who died on election duty in Andhra Pradesh?
Smt. Harita was a 58-year-old Secondary Grade Teacher at MPUP School in Poolakulthy village, D. Hirehal mandal, Anantapur district, who was deployed as a polling officer at Kadadarakunta polling centre in Kuderu mandal during elections.
How did Smt. Harita die?
She suffered a respiratory crisis while on polling duty. The medical team at the centre rushed her to Kuderu Primary Health Centre, where she died despite receiving emergency treatment.
What did CM Chandrababu Naidu say about the death of the polling officer?
CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep grief over Harita's death, conveyed heartfelt condolences to her family, assured them the government would support them in every possible way, and prayed for peace for her soul.
Will the Andhra Pradesh government give compensation to the family of the deceased polling officer?
CM Naidu assured full government support to the family. A formal ex-gratia payment has not been confirmed in the official statement, but such compensation is a common practice in similar cases across Indian states.
Why are teachers deployed as polling officers in Indian elections?
The Election Commission of India relies heavily on government school teachers to staff polling centres during elections, as they form a large, trained, and geographically distributed pool of government employees across India.
