All is set for polling for 11 urban bodies on Saturday from 7 am to 5 pm. State Election Commissioner R Parasuram informed that concrete security arrangements have been made for peaceful polling. He urged voters to vote fearlessly. Counting will be held on February 4.Polling will be held for Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Chhindwara municipal corporations and Bankheri, Badauni, Shamshabad, Chhapihera and Patera Nagar Parishads. Polling will also be held for recall of presidents of Harda Nagar Palika and Chhanera Nagar Parishad.

As many as 43,25,091 voters will exercise their franchise in these elections including 22,73,737 males, 20,51,185 females and 169 others. These urban bodies have 417 wards and 5241 polling booths. Polling will be held for 4 seats of mayor, 7 chairperson and 417 corporator. There are 35 candidates in fray for the seats of mayor, 23 chairperson and 1612 for corporator in the elections to be held on January 31.

Parasuram informed that for peaceful polling, about 17 thousand security personnel have been deployed including SAF, RAF, district police and Home Guards. As many as 496 polling booths are critical in Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Indore 147, Jabalpur 244 and there are 57 critical polling booths in Chhindwara municipal corporation. Cent per cent voter slips have been distributed in Patera and Shamshabad

So far, 97 per cent voter slips have been distributed in urban bodies including 100 percent in Nagar Parishad Patera and Shamshabad.Meanwhile, 94.94 per cent voter slips have been distributed in Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Indore 98.71 per cent, Jabalpur 98.40 per cent and Chhindwara 91.95 per cent. Similarly, 97.37 per cent voter slips have been distributed in Harda Nagar Palika, 99.28 percent Nagar Parishad Badauni, Chhapihera 91.34 per cent, Bankheri 90.01 per cent and Chhanera 94.93 per cent.