The Elections Department has made necessary arrangements for peaceful conduct of by-poll in the 26 polling stations in Nellithope Assembly segment on Saturday. A total of 31,366 voters, including 14,947 men and 16,419 women, are expected to exercise their franchise amid tight security.
In a release, Chief Electoral Officer V. Candavelou said that 270 personnel would be deployed for poll duty. Around 28,137 authenticated voter slips have been issued to the electors by the Election Department. Voters could use eight documents other than booth slips for voting.
For the first time, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced electronically transmitted postal ballot paper for service voters in the constituency on a pilot basis.
After the model code of conduct came into effect, over Rs. 45 lakh was seized by election authorities and is under investigation by the Income-Tax department. All the 26 polling stations in Nellithope have been identified as vulnerable and will be manned by Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel.
Mr. Candavelou said that police pickets, each headed by an Executive Magistrate and comprising 10 India Reserve Battalion personnel, has been deployed in the constituency. Thirteen locations bordering the constituency have been sealed and manned by the CAPF, he said.
