Hyderabad, Apr 23 (UNI) Voting for the Hyderabad Local Body Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections commenced at 0800 hours on Wednesday at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) headquarters.

According to Returning Officer Anurag Jayanti, two polling stations have been set up at the GHMC headquarters to accommodate the 112 registered voters. One polling booth is designated for corporators, while the other is for ex-officio members.

The MIM and BJP are the main contenders in this election. Mirza Riaz ul Hassan is representing the MIM, and Gautam Rao is contesting from the BJP. In the Hyderabad Local Body MLC elections, GHMC corporators will cast their votes as primary voters, while MPs, MLAs, and MLCs from the district will participate as ex-officio voters.

Polling is scheduled from 0800 to 1600 hours and counting of votes will take place on Friday, April 25.

Each polling station is manned by four staff members, with additional personnel kept on reserve to address any unforeseen needs. To maintain law and order, Section 144 has been imposed around the polling area, and a security force of 200 to 250 police personnel has been deployed. Overall, around 500 officers and staff members are engaged in election duties.

Jayanti said that polling and counting staff have been thoroughly trained and that all basic facilities have been arranged to ensure a smooth and peaceful voting process.

As part of the election arrangements, April 23 has been declared a holiday for all GHMC headquarters employees, excluding those on election duty. These employees will compensate by working on the second Saturday of June, which falls on June 14.

UNI VV GNK