Deputy Commissioner S. Sasikanth Senthil, who is also the Returning Officer for the elections to the Legislative council from the local bodies constituency in Raichur and Koppal, said on Saturday that the polling process would be recorded for ensuring a free and fair election.
He said that all arrangements were in place and polling staff had been trained.
Mr. Senthil said that there were 6,760 voters in the constituency and 342 polling stations had been set up. Each polling station would be provided with six staff including two polling officers and an assistant. A total of 52 sector officers had been designated in the constituency. As many as 140 vehicles would be deployed for polling duty.
“There are 55 hypersensitive, 64 sensitive and 62 normal polling stations in Raichur district and 39 hypersensitive, 41 sensitive and 81 normal polling stations in Koppal district. Additional security forces will be provided for hypersensitive and sensitive stations,” he said. Mr. Senthil said that two cases related to violation of model code of conduct had been booked recently. No voter or assistant or polling agent would be allowed to carry mobile phones, pen cameras etc.
To a question, Mr. Senthil clarified that those voters who were illiterate, physically challenged or unable to cast his votes due to any type of physical ailment would be allowed take an assistant who was aged above 18. “In order to maintain the secrecy of polling, a person cannot serve as an assistant for two or more voters,” Mr. Senthil added. There are over 2,000 illiterate voters in the constituency.
Superintendent of Police Mr. Chetan Singh Rathor said that 600 police personnel, including four Deputy Superintendents of Police, 13 circle inspectors and 29 police sub-inspectors had been deployed in Raichur district.
