The countdown has begun for the Tumkur CMC and other local body polls in the district and the polling will be held from 7am to 5 pm on Friday.

The staff appointed for election duty took the ballot boxes and election materials and moved to their respective booths in the district. The electronic voting machines will not be used but the good old ballot papers only will be used.

There is tight police security all over the district and in sensitive places reserve police and special task force police have been posted.

A public holiday has been declared on Friday in Tumkur and other places where the elections are being held.

An official release has stated that all banks, schools, colleges and private offices will be closed.

Indelible ink will be applied on the left index finger after the voters casts his vote. Only in the booths coming under the Chikkanayakanahalli municipal limits, the indelible ink will be applied on the left middle finger, said deputy commissioner S R Umashanker.

“If the voters do not possess the ID card issued by the election commission then they should have at least one document among the 19 identified to cast their voters. But if they do not have any identity they will not be allowed to vote,” he clearly stated.

The booth in the Sir municipal ward number 11 has been shifted to booth 13 and 14 in Vasavi educational institution premises. The earlier one booth earmarked in the Government Urdu junior primary school in Kacheri Mohalla has become weak due to heavy rain and hence this action has been taken, said Umashanker.

Sensitive booths

There are 234 wards in all including 35 CMC and Tiptur and Sira’s 31 wards. In all there are 4, 19, 774 voters. Out of this in Tumkur city there are 2, 11,862 voters. This is the highest number in the district.

In Tiptur municipal limits there are 46,075 voters and in Sira municipal limits 33, 876 voters. The speciality of this election is there are almost equal number of male and female voters. In the district there are  2,12,215 male voters and 2,07,559 female voters.

“In the district 198 booths have been identified as highly sensitive booths and 156 booths as sensitive booths. In all there are 468 booths. Out of this there are 237 booths in Tumkur and 85 have been identified as highly sensitive booths and 55 as sensitive booths,” said Umashanker.

After the counting all kinds of victory celebrations has been banned, said SP Harishekaran in a press conference. This step has been taken in order to protect law and order and all candidates are requested to cooperate, he urged.

Nearly 2,000 police staff that includes the civil police have been deployed for election duty, he said.

Security beefed up

The district administration is geared up for the local body elections which will begin at 7am on Friday. On Thursday, the district Election Officer S R Umashankar and the DSP P Harishekharan visited the sensitive booths at Pavagada, Madhugiri and other places. They instructed the officers in the respective booths on security set up and other issues.

Umashankar and Harishekharan said that all possible arrangements are made to avoid any confusions and the election and the police officers, equipped with wireless services to meet any emergency, will visit all the booths to supervise bandhobust.

Police, on the eve of the election took out parade in all the taluk centres including Tumkur, Sira and Tiptur where the elections will be held.

Ban on liquor shops

On Friday, sale and consumption of liquor are banned throughout the district, according to a press release from the election officer.