Preparations and security arrangements have been completed to conduct the byelection from the Koppal Assembly segment on September 26.
Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Tulasi Maddineni and Superintendent of Police B.S. Prakash said that there were 1,88,196 voters — 95,467 men and 92,729 women — in the Koppal Assembly segment as per the revised voters list.
Ms. Maddineni said there would be 210 polling booths, of which 94 were identified as sensitive and 65 as hypersensitive. The polling stations have been classified into four sectors, including 54 in Alawandi sector; 45 in Koppal rural sector; 60 in Koppal town sector and 51 in Munirabad sector. There are 47 hypersensitive and seven sensitive booths in Alawandi sector; 45 hypersensitive and 16 sensitive booths in Koppal rural sector; 60 hypersensitive and 15 sensitive booths in Koppal town sector and 51 hypersensitive and 19 sensitive booths in Munirabad sector.
In all, 210 returning officers will be appointed in addition to the 630 polling officers and 84 reserved staff. Arrangements have been made to utilise 210 electronic voting machines (EVMs) for polling, in addition to 100 EVMs to provide training to polling officials. Another 21 EVMs will be reserved for emergency use. The mustering and de-mustering of EVMs will be done at the Gavisiddeshwara Arts, Science and Commerce College in Koppal town. The counting of votes will be held on September 29, and the results announced on the same day.
The Superintendent of Police said that steps have been taken to maintain security to ensure smooth polling. A total of 12 District Armed Reserved (DAR) platoons and four Karnataka State Reserved Police (KSRP) platoons, along with one Assistant Sub-Inspector each, will be deployed for the polling process.
He said that each sector will have one supervising mobile unit headed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police along with three circle police inspectors and 10 police sub-inspectors for Alawandi, Koppal rural, Koppal town and Munirabad sectors.
Fifty cluster mobile squads, each headed by the assistant sub-inspector, will be set up. In all, four deputy superintendents of police, 12 circle police inspectors, 35 police sub-inspectors, 66 assistant sub-inspectors, 222 head constables, 862 police constables and 420 Home Guards will be deployed. Of which, 5,000 staff will be deputed from outside the district, he said.
