Fourteen candidates are left in the fray for the Atmakur Assembly byelection scheduled for June 23, as one candidate withdrew his candidature on Thursday.
SPSR Nellore Joint Collector and Returning Officer M.N. Harendra Prasad said an independent candidate, B. Subba Reddy, decided to withdraw from the contest. The returning officer has already rejected the nominations of 13 other candidates as the papers were not found in order during scrutiny.
With this, the contest is likely to be mainly between the ruling YSR Congress Party nominee Mekapatti Vikram Reddy and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Gundlapalli Bharat Kumar Yadav backed by the Jana Sena Party.
Bahujan Samaj Party nominee N. Obulesu and Indian Muslim League candidate Sk. Moinudeen have also thrown their hat in the electoral ring.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided against contesting the bypoll going by a convention set in the past to facilitate a member of the deceased MLA's family returning to the State Assembly.
Security arrangements
Meanwhile, SPSR Nellore Superintendent of Police Ch. Vijaya Rao visited some of the 78 sensitive polling stations and discussed with subordinate officials the security arrangements for the bypoll caused by the demise of Information Technology Minister Mekapatti Goutham Reddy. Three companies of Central forces would be deployed for the conduct of the bypoll, he said.
People in the constitutency had been asked to download the Election Commission's cVIGIL mobile app and report any violation of the election code of conduct. Voters could also access toll free number 1950 for information relating to elections, electoral photo identity card, electoral roll, online registration and also lodge a complaint on any electoral malpractices.
The Election Commission announced restrictions on conducted of exit poll and publication and dissemination of result in any manner between 7 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. on the polling day. Opinion poll or poll survey should not be disseminated in the electronic media during the 48 hours before polling concluded, it added.
