Ready for re-poll at Uppinakudru: DC

Muddu Mohan, Deputy Commissioner, said on Sunday that the District Administration had made all preparations for a re-poll at the Uppinakudru (West) polling station (for parliamentary election) coming under Byndoor Assembly segment in Udupi district on April 29. The Byndoor Assembly segment comes under Shimoga parliamentary constituency.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Mohan said that though polling had been held at the Government Model Higher Primary School, Uppinakudru (West) polling station on April 17, the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) developed a technical snag.

The EVM was replaced and voting continued on that day. The polling station had recorded a voter turnout of 74.38 per cent on April 17.

But since the snag continued in the first machine, the Election Commission did not want to take any chances. Hence, it had ordered a re-poll at the polling station.

It is among the 12 polling stations, where a re-poll had been ordered in the State.

The district administration had the new EVMs to be used for the repoll.

Publicity

The re-poll would take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

There are a total of 1,167 voters (629 women, 538 men) coming under Uppinakudru (West) polling station. Four teams of officials were already going from house-to-house to provide voters’ slips to the voters.

A meeting of political parties had been held at the Kundapur taluk level and they too had been informed about the repoll.

Alcohol ban

The sale of alcoholic beverages was banned in the Byndoor Assembly segment from 6 p.m. on April 27 to midnight of April 29. A Paid Holiday had been declared in the Uppinakudru (West) polling station area on April 29 so that voters could exercise their franchise.

Since the Uppinakudru (West) polling station is classified as a sensitive polling station. Adequate security arrangements had been made there and also the entire Byndoor Assembly segment.

A Sub-Inspector, a head constable and police constables would be overseeing the security at the polling station.

There would be webcasting of the voting process at the polling station. “We are aiming at ensuring 100 per cent voting at the polling station,” Mr. Mohan said.