Cyclone Murasu: Polls postponed in four Andhra mandals due to heavy rains

The elections to Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) in four mandals of Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru district have been postponed by a day due to heavy rains triggered by Cyclone Murasu.The polls in Velerupadu, Buttaigudem, Jeelugumilli and Polavaram mandals, which were scheduled for Thursday, November 5, will be held on Friday, November 6, Eluru District Collector K Vetri Selvi said.According to The Hindu, the Collector also directed officials to immediately shift residents of flood-affected villages to safer locations. Police personnel evacuated residents of Koya Madhavaram, Kummarigudem, Medipally, Allurinagar and other habitations in Velerupadu mandal as the Peddavaagu stream was in spate.Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha on November 4, reviewed arrangements for the MPTC and ZPTC elections scheduled across Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, in view of heavy rains and strong winds caused by Cyclone Murasu.The SEC held discussions with District Collectors and Superintendents of Police to assess weather conditions, accessibility of polling stations, transport facilities and the preparedness of election personnel, particularly in cyclone-affected districts.The Collectors reportedly informed him that rainfall had subsided in most districts and that polling could proceed without major difficulties, except in a few pockets. Punetha directed district administrations to continuously monitor local conditions and take preventive measures to ensure that voters and polling personnel were not inconvenienced.He said decisions on any difficulties in conducting the elections would be taken based on detailed reports from field-level officials. He also called for coordination among departments to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling, with adequate security arrangements.State Election Secretary A Mallikarjuna said around 2.52 lakh officials and employees had been assigned election duties, while another 52,000 personnel would be deployed for counting. Special attention was being given to arrangements in West Godavari, Guntur and Bapatla districts, which were among the areas affected by the cyclone.He stressed the need for videography at polling stations, including inside the premises wherever necessary, while ensuring that the secrecy of voting was not compromised. Presiding Officers were instructed to immediately alert Zonal Magistrates or the police in case of malpractice or any disturbance.Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta said the police had prepared detailed security plans, including arrangements to regulate crowds and queues at polling stations. Adequate police personnel would be deployed based on local requirements to maintain law and order and ensure voters could exercise their franchise without difficulty.