Elaborate arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of elections to 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats spread across 13 districts of Seemandhra on Wednesday.

Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal informed that polling will be held from 7 AM to 6 PM in 165 Assembly constituencies. Of remaining 10 seats, polling will be held from 7 AM to 4 PM in two seats while it will be from 7 AM to 5 PM in either other constituencies.

About 3.68 crore electors will decide the fate of 333 Lok Sabha and 2,241 Assembly candidates. A total of 40,709 polling stations have been set up across the region. The Election Commission has also appointed nearly 5,000 micro-observers to supervise the polling.

“A notice under Section 126 would be served to Jai Samaikhyandhra Party candidate Sabbam Hari for announcing withdrawal from contest from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat,

 Bhanwarlal informed.

Meanwhile, DGP B Prasad Rao informed that nearly 1.22 lakh security personnel have been deployed for the smooth conduct of polls. They include about 72,000 personnel of civil police and District Armed Reserve and 10,500 Home Guards. In addition, 284 companies of central para-military forces and 69 AP Special Police companies have been deployed.

So far, as many as 5,938 cases have been registered in connection with election related offences and 17,393 persons have been apprehended. A total of Rs 137.43 crore cash, 5.50 lakh litres of liquor, 74.2 kgs gold and 933.19 kg silver have also seized from different places.

Special measures have been taken to ensure peaceful polling in the naxal-affected areas of East Godavari and North Andhra coastal districts.