Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, May 9: Deputy Commissioner Ravi Kumar said, "There are 17,81,389 voters in the district out of which 8,70,991 of them are males and 9,10,314 are female and 84 of them transgenders. There are 1860 polling stations in the eight assembly constituencies among which 100 are model polling stations.
A team has been constituted and deployed at all polling stations with platoons. 184 sectoral officers have been appointed with 10-12 polling stations for every sectoral officer. At 5:30am on May 10, a mock poll process will start and at 7 am the actual polling will start and end at 6 pm.
Once elections are over, the EVMs with the VVPAT machines will be sent to the counting centres under tight security and kept in a strong room where party candidate respresentatives, observers, returning officers will be present even as the strong room remains locked.
Accommodation arrangements have been made for representatives or agents of the party candidates to stay at the counting centre on May 10 after EVMs and VVPATs are taken to the counting centre. For the time party candidate and agents can stand guard to vehicles while VVPAT EVM are being taken to the counting centres. The strong room at counting centre will be under scrutiny and close watch with the installation of the CCTVs.
During the last general assembly election the average polling percentage was 77.67%. Under Zilla Panchayath CEO Dr Kumar and through sweep activities awareness has been created to raise the average polling percentage by another 6% compared to the 2018 elections.
A holiday has been declared for schools, private companies, industries, aided schools, private colleges for the elections. Industries, malls, bars, restaurants, hotels, provisions stores have been directed to declare a paid holiday to its employees or else face strict action.
Apartment security guards, gardeners, cleaners, workers should also be provided a paid holiday on May 10.
Out of 1860 polling stations, 32 have been identified as critical polling stations and five of them are declared as vulnerable polling stations where voters have been threatened. Those who threaten the voters are been detained with preventive bonds in vulnerable polling stations.
Dry day and Section 144 also been imposed 48 hours prior to election day.
Drugs worth Rs 18.4 lac and Rs 22 lac worth liquor have been seized. Campaign polling material worth Rs 4.50 lac and Rs 13.5 lac in cash have been seized during the campaigning in violation of the poll model code of conduct.