Over 17.24 lakh eligible to cast votes in Wardha on April 11

WARDHA.: A total 17,24,581 voters will decide who will represent the constituency in the

Lok Sabha

, polling for which will be held on April 11.

Of the total voters, 8,86,109 are male and 8,38,447 female while 25 are transgender. Filing of nominations will be open from March 18 and close on March 25. After the scrutiny, candidates remaining in the fray will be declared on March 29.

Vivek Bhimanwar, district collector who is also the returning officer, said there are 1,995 polling booths in the Lok Sabha constituency spread in six assembly seats (four in Wardha district and two from

Amravati district

). Wardha city has 436 polling booths and the remaining 1,559 polling booths are in rural area.

The administration has identified 4,391 physically challenged voters who may not be able to access the polling stations easily and hence special arrangements (wheelchairs) have been made to help them cast their votes.

Apart from this, the administration will be ensuring eight minimum facilities at all polling booths including drinking water, light, toilets, sign boards etc, he said.

Following a special new voter registration drive conducted on March 1 and 2, the administration is ready with an updated voter list which will be supplied as separate supplementary sheet along with old voter list.

In all 8,409 polling staff will be deployed of which 3,030 will be women. Five observers will be there to monitor the elections and 153 zonal officers.

All EVMs and VVPATs have been safely put under police protection at the warehouse of district sports complex. Counting of votes will be conducted at FCI premises on May 23.

C-Vigilance app has been introduced by the Election Commission of India to register complaints of any violation of code of conduct during the elections. Anyone can send video through the app while toll free number has also been made available, the district administration informed.