MADURAI
District Election Officer and Collector S. Nagarajan on Friday said that distribution of voter slips to all the voters would be ensured in Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency, which is facing byelection on May 19.
Addressing media here, he said the distribution of the slips by booth-level officers would commence soon and be completed well ahead of the polling date. He said there were clear instructions from the Chief Electoral Officer that 100% distribution of voter slips must be ensured.
The DEO was responding to a question on the inefficiencies in the distribution of voter slips during the recently concluded parliamentary elections, during which a large number of voters complained that they did not receive voter slips.
Of the 297 polling stations that are located in 99 locations in the constituency, 88 polling booths had been identified as vulnerable, he said, adding that these stations would be given additional security with the deployment of personnel from Central Armed Police Forces.
For the Tirupparankundram byelection, Mr. Nagarajan said micro-observers would be deployed by Election Commission of India for all the 297 polling stations. While around 1,200 polling personnel are needed for deployment at the polling stations on the day of polling, he said that 1,500 polling personnel were being trained now.
Since the completion of Parliamentary election, ₹ 9.74 lakh has been seized by the Flying Squads and other teams for being transported in violation of Model Code of Conduct, he said.
S. Davidson Devasirvatham, Commissioner of Police, said 12 additional check-posts had been set up in Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency.
“Apart from this, police picketing is being set up in 20 more places. We have also increased two-wheeler and four-wheeler patrols in the constituency,” he said. He added that over 2,000 police personnel would be used for security.
On the controversy surrounding the security breach at the counting centre in Madurai Medical College, Mr. Nagarajan said that the three-tier security arrangement in place was satisfactory.
When asked about the complaints raised by Opposition parties regarding the presence of AIADMK’s Tirupparankundram candidate S. Muniyandi’s name being present in two places in electoral roll, he said the decision of Returning Officer was quasi-judicial and final. The opposition parties were demanding the rejection of Mr. Muniyandi’s nomination.
