Lok sabha 2024 : Heat wave prompts 1-hour voting extension; final preparations underway.

Mahabubnagar, Telangana: In anticipation of the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, Ravi Gugulothu, the Collector and Returning Officer for the Mahabubnagar Parliament Constituency, had confirmed that the completion of all necessary arrangements had been made . This includes the crucial randomization of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and adherence to polling procedures mandated by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The voting window has been extended by an hour. This move was adapted to safeguard the voters amidst the scorching heat. “The polling hours have been extended from 7 am to 6 pm”. “As per the instructions from the CEO’s office, all the door to door verifications have been done and wherever split families were identified with correction in the booths, it has been brought to the main head and now we don’t have any such split families” said the returning officer, Ravi, while addressing the issue of families splitting on polling booths.
Ravi Gugulothu, the returning officer, in Mahabubnagar, said, “All arrangements with respect to the ballot papers, finalisation of the contesting candidates, everything is ready. Training to the polling personals, first round of has been completed, second round planning on May 6th & 7th. With respect to the heat wave conditions, as per the ECI instructions and from the office of the CEO, all the facilities including the fans, lights, provision of drinking water, as well as providing shade all along the queue. Separate toilets are been provided for men and women. With respect to the commissioning of EVMs, today and tomorrow all the seven segments, the preparations of the EVMs to the polling stations also been done, the randomation part is done”.
Talking about the provision of home voting, the officer, further, said, “Home voting we are doing it through 23 teams. Each team would be having two polling officials, one videographer and one security personnel. The route of the home voting also been shared with the contesting candidates. There are also authorised to accompany this home voting team, so that they can also see the performance if at all there is any biased or anything on the polling personnel part can be monitored. We have around 540 people who are casting their votes through home.”

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On May 13, the fourth phase in Telangana polls, will take place in a single stage for all 17 seats. The new timings would be from 7 am to 6 pm, which was earlier announced as 7 am to 5 pm in Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zahirabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Chevella, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool (SC), Nalgonda and the Bhongir Lok Sabha seats.