JOIN US94 GPs to go for polls in Kodagu district today
Of the 98 Gram Panchayats, the term of two GPs namely, Gonikoppa and Ponnampet, will end by next year. The members to Kutta and Nalkeri Gram Panchayats have been elected unanimously. As many as 105 members have been elected unanimously in the district. So, polls will be held for 94 Gram Panchayats on Wednesday between 7 am and 5 pm.
Addressing a press meet on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner K H Ashwathanarayana Gowda and SP Manjunath K Annigeri said all the measures have been taken to conduct the election peacefully.
The DC said that Madikeri has 22 Gram Panchayats, Virajpet taluk—34 and Somwarpet taluk —40 GPs. There are 3,282 candidates for 1,107 seats. The district has 3,21,599 voters. Of which, 1,62,445 are male and 1,59,154 are female.
48 hypersensitive booths
The district has 438 polling booths. This include 88 sensitive and 48 hyper sensitive. Siddapura Gram Panchayat has highest number of seats, ie, 24. Garvale in Somwarpet taluk and Makkandur in Madikeri taluk has lowest number of seats, ie, seven.
In Madikeri taluk, Napoklu Government Junior College has highest number of voters with 1,299. Mundrot forest department office polling booth has lowest voters with 80.
Balele Government Model School has highest voters of 1,268 members and lowest of 48 members in Kallalla Government Lower Primary School. In Somwarpet taluk, Nellihudikeri Government Model Primary School has highest voters of 1,280. Valagunda anganwadi centre and Soorlabbi Government Primary School has lowest voters of 256. Every polling booth will have an official to supervise, three polling officers, one D grade employee, one to mark the ink and a police personnel. Videographers have been deployed for sensitive and hyper sensitive booths. The district has 419 polling booths including 394 general polling booths and 25 additional booths.
About 62 KSRTC buses, 31 maxi cabs, 107 jeeps have been used for carrying personnel to the respective polling booths.
The counting will be held on May 17 from 8 am in respective taluk headquarters. They are St Joseph convent (Madikeri), Government Junior College (Virajpet) and Government Junior College (Somwarpet).
Security beefed up in Kodagu
Security has been beefed up in Kodagu to avoid any disturbances during Gram Panchayat polls.
The district has 438 polling booths. Of which, 48 are hyper senstive and 88 are sensitive. For the security purpose, 48 head constables, 438 constables amd 136 Home Guards have been deployed.
As many as 35 sector mobile squads have been constituted. Each mobile squad will visit 10 to 15 polling booths for every half an hour. Sector mobile will have five officials. Othes, two will be armed. For the 35 sector mobile, there will be 3 DySPs and 9 CPI will be incharge.
A striking force with 3 platoons of KSRP, 9 DAR have been kept ready in case of emergency. For the election, 3 DySPs, 10 CPIs, 44 PSI/ASI, 444 head constables, 200 Home Guards have been deployed. Police personnel from Ramnagar district, have also arrived in the district.
Helplines have been started in taluk headquarters. The numbers are—Somwarpet (08276-282040, 281263), Virajpet—08274-257333 and Madikeri—08272-100, 228330