GVMC Elections 2021: Vizag gears up for municipal polls

Come 10 March and Vizag will be busy electing its municipal representatives. With the city’s municipal body, GVMC, set to go to polls after 14 long years, the elections have taken centre stage in Vizag. Several parties and independent candidates have been leaving no stone unturned in their canvassing strategies over the past few days, painting the city’s streets with political fervour.

98 wards across Vizag will be going to polls this time around, which marks a rise from 72 wards that had gone to polls, back in 2007. While 11,36,622 votes were cast in 2007, 17,52,927 voters are eligible to exercise their right, across 1712 polling stations in the city, on Wednesday. While the polls in 2007 had a voter turnout of 52.48%, the authorities expect the numbers to rise this year.

Encouraging citizens to exercise their voting right, District Collector, V Vinay Chand, earlier announced that all public undertakings, private business establishments, and industries shall declare a paid holiday for their employees on the election day in Vizag, Narsipatnam, and Yelamanchali.

The Visakhapatnam District Collector said that managements could use any other alternative day to compensate for the work. He added that if giving a paid holiday is not possible, the organisations in Vizag should allow at least three hours on the election day for their employees to cast their vote. In light of the municipal elections in Vizag, Mr Chand also said that all the wine shops should remain closed from the evening of 8 March till 10 March i.e., election day, and again on 14 March i.e., counting day.