Andhra Pradesh has over 1,000 centenarian voters, says CEC Rajiv Kumar

Andhra Pradesh has 175 Assembly segments and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. Polls are expected to be held in the next few months.

BySouth First Desk

Published Jan 11, 2024 | 12:45 PMUpdatedJan 11, 2024 | 12:45 PM

vote. (iStock)

Andhra Pradesh has 1,174 voters who are over 100 years old and 5.8 lakh electors over 80 years of age, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, on Wednesday, 10 January.

“A happy figure is that there are more than a 1,000 — 1,174 to be precise — voters are of the age of 100. And again, the very interesting thing is that the first-time voters between 18 and 19 are 7.88 lakh,” Kumar told reporters.

All the voters who are above 80 years of age will be given comfort of their own, he said.

Kumar, in October last year, wrote a personalised letter to over 2.5 lakh centenarian voters across the country, expressing gratitude for their contribution to the electoral process.

Impartial, transparent

Addressing a press conference, Kumar said purity of electoral rolls remains a priority and all concerns raised by the political parties have been addressed.

The commission has given clear and firm directions to election machinery and the entire bureaucracy to be impartial, transparent and accessible to all stakeholders, he said.

The EC team has met several political parties who have made many requests ranging from curbing of cash distribution to influencing votes and strict enforcement for inducement-free elections, he added.

“It is not that you take action against only the small handlers of the liquor, those who are carrying it. Go to the kingpins who are the organisers of crime. Similarly, there would be a strict watch on cash through banks, by the wallets, by UPI, whatever mode it gets transported,” he said.

All airports, including airstrips and helipads, would be checked for all kinds of helicopter and air services on intelligence basis, he further said.

Also Read: EC reviews poll preparedness for concurrent LS, Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh

Voters of Andhra Pradesh

According to Kumar, Andhra Pradesh has a voter base of 4.07 crore, out of which 2.07 are female electors and he noted that the southern state has a good electoral gender ratio of 1,036.

As many as 159 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh feature an electoral gender ratio of more than 1,000.

The electoral gender ratio have consistently improved over the years in Andhra Pradesh: 1,013 in 2014, 1,021 (2019) and 1,036 (2024).

According to the CEC, there are 3,486 transgender voters, 4.76 lakh differently-abled, 7.88 lakh first time (18 to 19 years) and 67,903 service electors.

The final electoral rolls will be published on 22 January, he said.

Also Read: Naidu, Pawan Kalyan accuse YSRCP of ridiculing democracy

Assembly and LS polls

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly has 175 segments while there are 25 Lok Sabha seats. As many as 139 Assembly constituencies fall under the general category, seven (ST) and 29 (SC).

Twenty Lok Sabha constituencies fall under the general category, one (ST) and four (SC).

The Election Commission has achieved 100 percent electoral enrollment of tribals belonging to 11 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) with a population of 4.29 lakh, whose voting-eligible population has been pegged at 2.94 lakh.

Calling on the people of Andhra Pradesh to participate in the elections by casting their votes, Kumar said 175 officials will be deployed to campaign about the importance of voting in colleges.

Also Read: AP CM Jagan’s sister YS Sharmila joins Congress ahead of LS polls

Review meeting

A review meeting was held on Tuesday on the poll preparedness of the state.

Besides the CEC, Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, who constitute the Election Commission, participated in the review meeting.

“EC has convened a review meeting with all the district collectors, superintendents of police (SPs) and commissioners of police,” an official press release from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh said.

The Election Commission engaged in an elaborate discussion on poll preparedness for the simultaneous elections.

In addition to the review meeting, the Election Commission also met with all national and regional political parties in the state, including receiving their representations.

(With PTI inputs)