Rayalaseema to play key role in deciding the next govt

Tirupati: The stage is set for the counting of votes across the Rayalaseema districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur.
The region accounts for 52 assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats.
Chief ministerial contenders N Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jaganmohan Reddy belong to Rayalaseema.
Rayalaseema results will have a key role in deciding which forms the next government.
On Wednesday, district administrations in Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur completed all arrangements for the counting.
In Chittoor, collector P S Pradyumna inspected arrangements at SITAM and SVCET Colleges in Chittoor and Tirupati. Mock counting of votes was held and the officials were directed by the collector and the district election officer to discharge their duties in line with the established rules without any deviations whatsoever.
Collector CH Hari Kiran inspected arrangements in place at the KLM Engineering College in Kadapa on Wednesday. He asked observers and micro observers to adhere to the ECI guidelines.
Meanwhile, in Kurnool district, collector S Satyanarayana expressed satisfaction with the arrangements at counting centres at G Pullaiah Engineering College and Rayalaseema University. Elaborate security arrangements have been made, involving 10 platoons of central forces in addition to the local police force.
District election officer G Veerapandian along with SP GVG Ashok Kumar inspected arrangements at counting centres at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and SK University in Anantapur district on Wednesday. About 4,000 staff have been deputed for counting duties in the district.