District administration all set for APMC elections today

The district administration has made all preprations for the smooth conduct of agricultural produce market committee (APMC) elections between 8 am and 4 pm on Thursday.

Of 37 posts going for polls in Kushalnagar, Madikeri and Gonikoppa APMCs, five persons have been elected unopposed. The election would be held for 32 posts. The posts that were elected unoppsed are Nariyandada, Napoklu and Maragodu in agriculture sector in Madikeri taluk, one post of cooperative sector in Madikeri and Ponnampet in Virajpet.

There are 97 polling stations in the district, including 27 in Madikeri and 43 in Virajpet. Out of 97 booths, four are hyper sensitive areas, 30 are sensitive, one Maoist-affected and 62 are normal polling booths.

Each polling booth will have a monitoring officer, three booth officers and a D-group employee. All those deployed for election duty assembled at Old Fort hall in Madikeri, Virajpet Government PU College and Somwarpet Government PU College.

The counting will be held at respective taluk headquarters on January 14 at 8 am, The police personnel have beefed up security in and around the polling booth.

Election tahsildar said that voters have to produce passport/driving license/income tax ID card/bank-Kissan or post office passbook with photo/registered deeds/Patta or other property documents/ration card while exercising their franchise.