Udupi District Administration Gears up for Free and Fair Assembly Polls
Udupi: The district administration has geared up to hold the Assembly elections on May 10 in the district in a free and fair manner.
On May 9, de-mustering was held at Cecily School, Udupi; Bhandarkars College Kundapur; Manjunath Pai Memorial College Karkala; Dandatheertha PU College Kaup and Govt Pre University College Byndoor from where the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VV PAT’s to be used for the first time for the Karnataka elections, were sent to the respective polling booths.
Voting will begin at 7:00 am on May 10 and go on till 6:00 pm. Officials have requested the people to come in large numbers and cast their votes.
The officials gathered at the St Cecily School, Udupi, Bhandarkars College Kundapur, Manjunath Pai Memorial College Karkala, Dandatheertha PU College Kaup, Govt Pre University College Byndoor where the de-mustering centre has been set up, they collected all the materials from the officials before heading to their respective polling booths.
According to Udupi DC Kurma Rao M, the final electoral rolls comprise 10,41,915 voters in the district, Byndoor has 2,35,716 voters and 246 polling stations; Kundapura has 2,09,592 voters and 222 polling stations; Udupi has 216989 voters and 226 polling stations; Kaup 1,89,007 voters and 208 polling stations and Karkala Assembly constituency has 1,90,611 voters and 209 polling stations.
Besides Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) as identity proof, other approved photo ID cards, including the Aadhaar Card, MNREGA ID card, bank or post office passbooks with photo, labour department’s health insurance smart card, driving license, PAN card, smart cards of the Registrar General of India or the National Population Register, passport, pension card with photo, service ID cards by central/ state governments and public sector undertakings, ID cards issued to MPs, MLAs and MLCs and Special Disability Card, are also accepted.
The administration has established five each special polling booths managed by women officers (Sakhi) in the five Assembly constituencies and one each special booth for physically handicapped, young voters and theme-based booths in these constituencies besides setting up one ethnic booth in Kundapur constituency. Wheelchairs, magnifying glasses, braille ballot papers, the entry on priority, ramp and transportation on request are arranged for specially-abled persons, he said.
As many as 1,336 ballot and control units and 1,446 voter-verified paper audit trail machines are arranged.
Speaking to Mangalorean.com Udupi SP Akshay Machindra said that as part of security measures and to enhance voter confidence, 19 platoons of paramilitary forces are deployed while 90 route marches have been conducted. Bonds were secured by 850 people in 741 cases and Rs 7 lakh penalty has been collected by seven persons. Two were arrested under the Goonda Act while 13 were externed from the district, he said.
