JOIN USULB polls: Men and materials put in order
The district administration is all set for the urban local body (ULB) polls, scheduled to be held on March 7, putting men and materials in place.
Announcing this to media at his office here on Tuesday, deputy commissioner Ramegowda — also district election officer — said a total of 1,071 candidates are in the fray for 204 wards comprising Mysore City Corporation (MCC), Nanjangud, Bannur, Hunsur and K R Nagar town municipal councils and T Narsipur, Periyapatna and H D Kote town panchayats. A total of 7,62,671 voters — including 3,82,098 men and 3,80,573 women — will exercise their franchise.
Total voters
Among them, the highest of 6,20,694 voters are in MCC limits alone, including 3,10,958 men and 3,09,736 women. From 65 wards under the city corporation, 433 candidates are testing their mettle. Booth-wise too the city corporation tops at 686, while the total number of booths — including corporation and other local bodies in the district — are 846. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used for local body polls for the first time.
To transport men and materials, 44 KSRTC buses, 43 matadors, 173 jeeps — totalling 260 vehicles — are used. In all 3,736 poll officers at different levels are deputed.
Videograph
Electioneering will be videographed to keep a tab on the ongoings. Barring emergencies, mobile phones are not allowed to be used in the polling booth.
Giving details of security measures in the city, police commissioner K L Sudheer said 1,600 men will be deployed to ensure free and fair polls. It includes 12 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) force, 15 city armed reserve (CAR) police force, three commando forces, 500 home guards and 65 mobile parties. That apart, 200 additional men have been deputed from Bangalore police.
Among the total 686 booths under corporation limits, 164 are hyper-sensitive, 262 sensitive and 260 normal booths.
Barring a few cases, where Rs 18,560 has been seized from the supporters of a candidate in Lashkar police limits and another 72 sarees seized in K R police limits, a majority of the other cases are not serious in nature. Such cases are booked under non-cognisable offences.
Security
SP R Dileep said, in the district limits (excluding city corporation), there are 160 booths — 39 hyper-sensitive, 55 sensitive and 66 normal booths. To ensure smooth polling, 48 preventive cases have been booked and measures have been initiated to banish three anti-social elements.
Barricades have been put at 30 places to check speeding vehicles. That apart, 25 mobile parties have been pressed into action.
Additional deputy commissioner Naga Nayak, MCC commissioner P G Ramesh, DCP (law and order) Basavaraj Malagaththi, returning officers and assistant returning officers and others were present.