Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

CEO for Delhi on Dec. 17

HYDERABAD: Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao will visit New Delhi on December 17 and 18 to attend the meeting of CEOs of all States convened by the Election Commission to review the preparedness for the general elections with particular reference to the law and order situation and voter enrolment.

Mr. Rao said the meeting was not any indication of the timing of the elections. The Election Commission would assess situation across the country.

As far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, it would review the preparedness of the system for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly.

Andhra Pradesh is likely to be the first ranker in voter enrolment, going by the overwhelming public response received among the people to register themselves in post-offices, drop-boxes and e-registration, apart from tahsildar offices.

Mr Rao said over one lakh applications had been received so far at post-offices for enrolment, 51,000 through e-registration and 49,000 through drop-boxes. Once the applicants were enrolled, the voters’ strength in the State would touch 5.80 crore. This would be nearly 70 per cent of the State’s population projected at 8.5 crores.

Although the final list of the electoral rolls would be published on January 10, the enrolment would continue till the last date fixed by the EC for withdrawal of nominations. The names included after January 10 would be published in a supplementary list.

Meanwhile, students of colleges, universities and other educational institutions but staying in hostels all over the State, can now register themselves as voters without going to their native places.

Responding to representations from various organisations, the Election Commission relaxed rules and permitted the heads of these institutions - like principals and Vice-Chancellors - to attest the age and residential address of the students on a self-declarations made by the latter.

Students aged above 18 years has been asked to attach this attested certificate along with the applications and submit the same before the electoral registration officer at Tahsilar office concerned for enrolment or at the branch post-office of the village if the institution is located near that village.

“There will not be any verification of the contents mentioned in the self-declaration by the designated registration officer,” said Mr. Subba Rao

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