Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Kasargod, Apr 8: The district is fully prepared for the state assembly elections scheduled to be held on April 9, with distribution of voting machines and materials underway since morning at four centres. A total of 5,480 officials have been deployed for election duty. Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm, while counting of votes will take place on May 4.
In the district, 229 polling stations have been set up in Manjeshwar constituency, 218 in Kasargod, 217 in Uduma, 239 in Kanhangad, and 218 in Trikaripur. Distribution centres have been arranged at Government College, Kasargod for Kasargod and Manjeshwar constituencies; Thanbeehul Islam Higher Secondary School for Uduma; and Durga Higher Secondary School, Kanhangad for Kanhangad and Trikaripur constituencies. Election materials are being distributed from these centres since morning.
The district has a total of 11,00,036 voters, including 5,57,163 women, 5,42,861 men, and 12 transgender voters. While 1,141 VVPAT machines are required, an additional 20 percent have been kept in reserve.
A total of 238 polling stations have been identified as highly sensitive, including 36 in Manjeshwar and 57 in Kasargod constituencies. Webcasting has been installed in all 1,141 polling stations across the district, marking the first time such a facility has been implemented universally.
Five polling booths, one in each constituency, will be managed entirely by women. Voters are required to carry photo-affixed voter ID cards to cast their votes. The district also has 4,292 voters above the age of 85, and arrangements have been made to enable them to vote from home.
For security, 1,992 police personnel have been deployed along with 16 companies of central forces.
Meanwhile, a total of 5,171 cases of election code of conduct violations have been detected in the district, and action has been taken. These include 2,880 cases related to posters, 405 banners, and 236 instances of wall writings, with legal action initiated in all 5,177 cases.
Six anti-defacement enforcement squads are actively working in the district under the leadership of additional district magistrate K V Shruti to ensure adherence to the election code of conduct. Violations have involved members from all major political parties, officials said.