Public campaigning ends; Elections on April 17
Deputy Commissioner Muddu Mohan said the voting percentage in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency is expected to reach 80 per cent target, following the meticulous and elaborate initiatives take up by the district administration under SVEEP.
Speaking to the media persons, the DC said that there are 13,86,515 voters in the constituency and EPIC cards are distributed to all voters. In Udupi district, there are 7,11,533 voters, while in Chikmagalur there are 6,74,982 voters respectively.
As many as 9,312 polling officials are on duty, of which 4,806 are deployed in Udupi district and 4,506 are in Chikmagalur. He added help desks, voter facilitation centers, ramps, signage, toilet and drinking water facilities are provided to the voters in the polling booth.
The web casting will be done in 140 polling centers in the constituency, of which 70 each are in Udupi and Chikmagalur. As many as 532 micro observers are appointed, of which 233 are in Udupi and 299 are in Chikmagalur. The counting will be held at T A Pai English Medium High School Kunjeebettu, he added.
He said Bhandarkars College in Kundapur will be mustering and de-mustering center in Kundapur, T A Pai English Medium High School, Kunjeebettu is the mustering and de-mustering center for Udupi, St. Cecile English Medium PU College in Brahmagiri, Udupi, is the mustering center for Kaup assembly segment, while Mini Vidhana Soudha is the mustering and de-mustering centre for Karkala respectively.
In Chikmagalur, the mustering centers for Sringeri assembly constituency is at Mini Vidhana Soudha, Sringeri, Government First Grade College, Koppa and Mini Vidhana Soudha, Narasimharajpura respectively. The de-mustering will be held at Government First Grade College, Koppa.
Government Junior College, Mudigere is the mustering and de-mustering center for Mudigere assembly constituency. S T J Women College is the mustering and de-mustering centers for Chikmagalur and SJM College Tarikere is the mustering and de-mustering center in Tarikere assembly constituency respectively.
The DC added that videography will be done at 279 sensitive, hyper sensitive and naxal affected polling booths in the constituency. He said cases are filed against violation of poll code of conduct against Congress candidate Jayaprakash Hedge, BJP candidate Shobha Karandlaje and AAP candidate Gurudev S H. Notices have been issued to all the three candidates.
Seizure
A total of Rs 4,53,939 has been seized, of which Rs 20 lakh is been seized in cash. The liquor supply, accumulation, production, trafficking and distribution is prohibited from April 15, 6 pm to April 17, midnight, he added.
The DC added that the central para military forces have been deployed in as many as 53 poling booths. As many as 87 mobile police units are deployed in sensitive, hyper sensitive and naxal affected polling stations. These are headed by PSI ranking officials. Each assembly segment is headed by DySP level ranking officials, he added.