JOIN US1,343 candidates electoral fate to be sealed today
As many as 1,343 candidates are testing their electoral fortunes, and nearly 67 lakh people are eligible to vote. This is the first time the City is going for the civic polls after Bangalore became greater Bangalore with the inclusion of many new areas.
Voters will be exercising their franchise by using electronic voting machines. This is also the first time EVMs are used in any local body election in the State. EVMs will display the names of the candidates only in Kannada. Voters, who can’t follow Kannada, will have to go by the symbols. The Election Commission said that as the elections are being held for a local body, the local language is being used. The counting of votes will be taken up on April 5.
No party including the ruling the BJP has fielded candidate in all the wards. Three former mayors R Narayanaswamy, P R Ramesh and K Chandrashekar are trying to get back to the Palike’s Council. Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu’s son Jagadeesh Katta, BJP MLA M Srinivas’ son Venkatesh Babu, Congress MLA N L Narendra Babu’s brother N L Ravinshankar, former minister A Krishnappa’s daughter K Poornima, and his brother A Gopal are among the prominent candidates who are in the fray.
Under the banner of Civic Front, eight organisations including the CPM, CPI, RPI, INL, Praja Vimochana Chalavali have fielded in all 47 candidates. In addition, 17 candidates, representing various residents associations, are in the fray. Five candidates of Lok Satta party are also trying their electoral luck. In all there are 706 candidates.
Security
As many as 30,000 police personnel will be deployed to provide security to the polling stations and patrolling. The police have booked 661 cases pertaining to the poll norms violation. Goods worth Rs 9 lakh seized which were meant to be distributed to induce voters. Already 1,374 people have been taken into preventive custody. The excise department has booked 75 cases for violation of the norms.
The BBMP has roped in nearly 35,000 state government employees whereas the election commission has appointed 27 observers.
The EC has identified 1,534 polling booth as sensitive while 1,032 as hyper sensitive booths.
BBMP commissioner Bhart Lal Meena has asked people to contact the helpline numbers of the EC in case they observe any malpractice during voting.
