EC orders poll-specific accounts

All the payments above

Rs 20,000 for election expenses would have to be through account payee cheques drawn on the election-specific account. The election expenditure ceiling has been fixed at Rs 16 lakh.

Special Officer (Elections) R Manoj told reporters in Bangalore on Saturday that the move was part of the series of new measures taken by the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polls.

Poll monitoring teams deputed by the ECI are also maintaining “shadow registers” on election expenses. “If a candidate holds a rally, then our team will maintain a record on the approximate cost incurred for the event. The candidate or his agent will have to sign the records. Our shadow registers will then be reconciled with the election expenditure shown by the candidate,” Manoj said.

Booth-level officers designated by the ECI have already started the process of issuing voters’ slips with voters’ details, photographs, polling date and polling booth information for the November 30 bypoll. While the door-to-door delivery of voters’ slips has started, help desks will also be opened on election day to provide the slips.

Manoj said the number of vehicle permits issued to each candidate is being hosted on the Chief Electoral Officer’s website eokarnataka.kar.nic.in.

Integrated check-posts have also been opened at all entry points to Bellary, Manoj said.
“Based on the response to the new initiatives, we will extend them for future elections across the State,” the officer said.

Security

In all, the ECI has deputed 18 flying squads and 10 monitoring squads for the bypoll. For security purposes, four companies of Central Paramilitary Forces have been deployed, including three companies of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and one company of Border Security Force.