Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (DC)

Mangaluru, Aug 4: The timetable for polls to two urban and one local body have been announced by the assistant deputy commissioner here on Saturday August 4.

Addressing the press meet here at Deputy Commissioner’s office, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Kumar said, "The elections for Ullal and Puttur city municipalities and Bantwal town municipalities will be held on August 29 from 7am to 5pm. The poll notifications will be issued by the deputy commissioner on August 10 and the candidates can submit their nomination on the same day. The last date to submit the nomination would be August 17 and the candidates can withdraw their nomination on August 20. The counting of the votes will be held on September 1,"

“For the first time 50% seats have been reserved for the women as compared to 30% earlier. In addition, for the first time Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been introduced in the polls. Till now ballot papers were used in the urban and local body elections. The EVMs will have photographs of candidates contesting elections. The election commission has also introduced NOTA or None Of The Above option for the first time in the urban and local body elections," he added.

The ADC further said that election and expenditure monitoring officials have been appointed. "For the Ullal city municipality 4 election officials followed by 5 for Puttur city municipality and 3 for Bantwal town municipality have been appointed. The applications will be received from August 10 to 17 by the elections officials from 11am to 3pm,” he said.

The election code of conduct will be in force from August 2 and a committee consisting 3 members including the respective Tahasildars of the each urban and local body has been appointed, he added.

The counting of the votes will be held on September 1 from 8am. The counting centres are Bharath High School in Ullal city municipality, taluk office of Puttur and the taluk office of Bantwal.

The eligible voters, whose names were not in the voters' list, should enrol their names in the voters' lists by August 10. There are over 44273 voters in Ullal city municipality followed by 39532 in Puttur and 33640 in Bantwal town municipality in total there are 117445 eligible voters.

In Ullal city municipality, there are 43 booths out of which 43 are declared sensitive and 11 are categorised as hyper sensitive. In Puttur there are 41 booths in which 27 are declared sensitive. In Bantwal there are 32 booths in which 18 are sensitive and 14 have been declared hyper sensitive.