THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 448 of the 2,203 polling stations in the district have been identified as sensitive, critical or vulnerable and six companies of central forces will be deployed for ensuring security during the polls. There are 135 candidates in the fray in 14 constituencies, of whom 14 are women.
While 332 polling stations were identified as sensitive, 61 were identified as critical and 55 as vulnerable. Apart from additional security forces, video surveillance and web casting would be implemented at these stations, district collector Biju Prabhakar told reporters here on Tuesday.
There are 26,99,984 voters in the district – The number of female voters is 14,23,638 and male voters 12,76,346. About 13,000 dead and duplicate voters were removed from the voters’ lists of the district after the local body polls, he said.
As many as 9,692 officials are required for polling duties in the district. Basic minimum facilities were being ensured in all polling stations. The polling officials only need to report at the distribution centres by 10 a.m. instead of the earlier practice of reporting by 7 a.m.
Polling personnel only need to carry Electronic Voting Machines and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail units. Other materials will be distributed by distribution assistants. Facilities to provide food to polling officials have been arranged through Kudumbasree and prison authorities.
