Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (DV)
Kasargod, Dec 13: Election commission is all set to hold local body polls on Monday, December 14. Polling officers, Electronic Voting Machines and other essential things have arrived at the respective polling stations in the district.
Equipment for the polling stations was distributed in the nine centres of the district. The election process will be held while adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines. As many as 1,409 polling stations have been set up to conduct elections. Polling will be for 17 DV zones of zilla panchayat, 38 gram panchayats, six block panchayats and three municipalities. The results will be announced on December 16.
As the elections are a matter of prestige for the political parties, UDF backed by the Congress, LDF supported by CPI(M), BJP, SDPI, PDP and small parties and independent candidates are in the fray.
Out of 38 gram panchayats, 19 gram panchayats are in the hands of UDF and 15 with LDF. BJP supported members are ruling only two gram panchayats and a rebel group of Congress is ruling one gram panchayat.
Madhur gram panchayat and Bellur gram panchayat are ruled by the BJP supported members.
In zilla panchayath, UDF had secured eight seats, LDF secured 7 and BJP has two seats. Three seats each have been shared by UDF and LDF in block panchayat. In the municipality level, two seats have been secured by LDF and one is with UDF. Neeleshwara and Kanhangad are ruled by LDF and Kasargod by UDF. Totally, 2,648 candidates are in the fray for the local body elections. As many as 65 candidates from 17 wards of the zilla panchayat, 329 candidates from 113 wards of three municipalities, 263 candidates from 83 wards of six block panchayats and 1,991 candidates from 664 wards of 38 gram panchayats are in the fray. Of which, 1,287 are women candidates.
As many as 10,48,566 voters will exercise their franchise. There are 71 non-resident Indians. The election commission has prohibited sale of liquors from 6 am of December 12 to 6 pm of December 14 and on December 16 on the day of counting.
The election commission has made arrangements for postal votes for the corona patients and those who are under quarantine. Voting arrangements have been made for the corona patients on December 13 till 3 pm. The corona-positive patients will be allowed to vote from 5 pm to 6 pm on the day of the voting.
The election commission has provided 9,863 litres of sanitizers, masks, gloves, face shields to the polling stations. As many as 8,527 staffs have been deployed for election duty.
The election commission has identified 17 roads and 38 ways between the Kerala-Karnataka border, where strict checking will be undertaken to prevent illicit liquor, illegal entry and other illegal activities. Three teams of coastal security police have been dispensed to keep an eye out for the illegal activities that can be carried out via sea.
There are 84 very sensitive polling booths, 43 sensitive and 8 Naxal-hit polling stations. The people who are coming out of the state to exercise their franchise need not under coronavirus test, informed deputy commissioner, Dr D Sajith Babu.
On Friday, DC Sajith Babu had urged people to undergo the coronavirus test when they come to vote. However, after political parties requested him, he decided not to make coronavirus test compulsory.