Officials to collect polling machines by 10 am today
Picture for representational purpose only. (Photo: PTI)
KOCHI: The district authorities are in the final stages of making arrangements for the smooth conduct of elections to one corporation, 13 municipalities and 82 panchayats in the district.
Training was given to officials deputed for election duty. To ensure foolproof security, an additional 2,500 police personnel have been deployed in the polling stations within city limits.
A ‘district striking team’ comprising 75 policemen has also been constituted. As many as 14 DYSPs, 15 CIs, 69 SIs and women cops will be on polling duty. Sensitive, vulnerable, and critical polling booths will be under strict police protection.
Meanwhile, the high decibel campaign ended at 5 pm on Tuesday with massive rallies and campaign vehicles mounted with loudspeakers crisscrossing every nook and corner of the district. Candidates focused on reaching out to every voter in their respective electoral wards.
Preparation of ballot units and control units was completed in 28 centres. In Kochi corporation, there are 326 polling booths in 74 divisions while there are 495 wards in 13 municipalities in the district.
Additional ballot machine units will be provided to all booths to be used if in case of technical snags. The ballot units were shifted to strong rooms under police security.
Polling officials will have to collect the machines and other things from the centres on Wednesday morning. The district collector has asked the officials to be present at the centres before 10 am.
In panchayats, there would be three electronic voting ballot units in different colours for grama panchayat wards, block panchayat, and district panchayat divisions.
The requirement for casting votes, is that voters have to produce any one of the eight photo identity documents. The Election Commission has instructed district authorities to permit all those deputed for election work including drivers to cast their votes.
On polling day, political parties have been prohibited from soliciting votes within 200 metres from polling stations in panchayats and within 100 metres in municipal areas
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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