News and Pics by Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)
Udupi, Apr 29: Deputy commissioner (DC) and election officer P Hemalata has made all arrangements for peaceful polling on Thursday April 30 in Udupi–Chikmagalur constituency which comprises of eight legislative assembly constituencies.
About 12, 24,338 voters including 6, 29,603 women and 5, 94,735 men are expected to go to the polls in the constituency on Thursday.
Security arrangements have been put in place at 180 hypersensitive polling centres in the constituency excluding Byndoor assembly constituency which has 27 hypersensitive polling centres and 326 sensitive polling centres excluding Byndoor with 38 sensitive centres.
The Byndoor assembly constituency forms part of Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency after the recent delimitation by Election Commission (EC).
Around 4,500 officials have been trained for poll duty. Four polling staff including policemen will serve at each poll centre.
Additional staff will serve along with other officials at specific poll centres that have over 1,200 voters in the voters list in adherence with the directives of the Election Commission.
Two women constables will also be stationed on poll duty at the polling centres that have a significant number of voters from the Muslim community. The district administration has been following up on poll arrangements at all centres.
Special security arrangements have been made for peaceful polling at 48 centres that lie in naxal-affected regions in the district.
Additional police personnel have been assigned to four police stations that located in the naxal-affected regions though six camps of the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) are providing security for peaceful polling. The strength of the ANF has also been increased besides additional policemen being assigned to police stations here and armed with sophisticated weapons.
The combing operations by the ANF are likely to continue in naxal-affected regions on Thursday April 30, in close co-ordination with anti-sabotage personnel equipped to detect improvised explosive devices.
ANF personnel have already visited 20 naxal-affected villages across the district to generate confidence among the voters.
Quick reaction teams, ambulances, and hospitals, will be on high alert throughout Thursday to respond to any emergency in case of sudden naxal attacks in the region.
Around five companies of the central Para-Military Force, five platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police and six platoons of the District Armed Reserve have been deployed on poll duty in the district. About 3,254 police personnel including officers have been assigned on poll duty.