Voter counts and poll schedules announced for Ongole municipal elections

UPDATE - follow-up to 14 candidates in fray for Ongole Mayor's post, says Municipal Commissioner: A total of 326 candidates from various political parties are contesting across 62 wards for the Ongole Municipal Corporation elections, while 14 candidates are running for the Mayor's post.

Election Details

Municipal Commissioner T. Venkata Krishnaiah announced that candidates in divisions 25, 57, and 58 were elected unanimously. The electorate includes 1,92,873 total voters across the 62 wards, comprising 92,228 men, 1,00,591 women, and 54 voters from other categories. Authorities have set up 224 polling stations for the vote.

Logistics And Schedule

RISE Engineering College near Valluru will serve as the hub for election material distribution and collection, starting Saturday, October 31, at 7 a.m. Strong rooms and counting halls occupy the first and second floors of the college, where 500 ballot boxes are stored. Polling will take place on Sunday, November 1, after which staff and materials will return to the same premises. Officials have identified 22 transport routes overseen by 22 route officers and six zonal officers. Buses from APSRTC and the District Transport Commissioner handle transport, while training was completed for 230 polling personnel, 180 counting supervisors and assistants, 17 returning officers, and 34 assistant returning officers.

Context

Municipal elections in urban local bodies involve detailed logistical planning to manage polling stations, transport routes, and ballot security across multiple wards. Such local polls determine city administration leadership, including ward representatives and the mayoral post.