Kadapa By-Polls: Final Preparations

With the Kadapa police pre-occupied with making arrangements to ensure glitch-free pollings on Sunday, the agents of a political party were openly distributing money among the electorates.

A number of agents were caught with thick stacks of crisp Rs. 500 notes, and they were filmed moving in groups of 3, distributing the money to the residents of the district. The identity of the political party to which they belong has not yet been determined.

With this brazen act coming to the forefront, the Election Commission has been asked to make special arrangements to ensure that rigging does not take place on the polling day.

The Election Commission, on the other hand, has been working all day, making sure that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that will be used tomorrow are functional, and that they have been supplied to all the polling booths across the district.

Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the by-polls, and the quick temper that the region is known for, DGP Aravinda Rao declared that 15,000 police personnel have been mobilised to maintain order and peace during the polls. The police forces include the additional forces brought in from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In all, everyone concerned with the Kadapa by-polls seems to be gearing up for the huge challenge that stands in front of them - ensuring that the polling day remains uneventful.