JOIN USAs many as 13 candidates are in fray in Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency with the deadline to withdraw the nominations ending on Friday.
Dakshina Kannada District Election Officer (DEO) and Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S told mediapersons at DC office here, that 15 candidates had filed 24 sets of nomination papers.
“One candidate withdrew his nomination and the nomination of a candidate, who had filed nominations under two different registered parties, was rejected.”
Two candidates contesting the elections as independents had opted for the same election symbol, a cricket bat. However the issue was settled with a draw and H Suresh Poojary was allowed to retain the cricket bat as his election symbol.
Those in the fray include sitting MP Nalin Kumar Kateel from BJP, Mithun M Rai from Indian National congress and S Satish Salian from BSP.
According to the voters’ list finalised on March 26, 2019, 17,24,566 voters, including 97 trangenders, will be exercising their franchise in 17th Lok Sabha elections.
As in the past, women voters (8,79,186) outnumbered male voters (8,45,283). Barring voters slip, 11 identity cards, including Aadhaar card and MGNREGA job card, can be produced in place of EPIC to cast vote at a polling booth.
“Unlike in the past, polling personnel barring police personnel will be exercising their franchise with the help of EDC (election duty certificate).”
The police as in past will be exercising their franchise through postal ballots.
There has been lukewarm response to exercising their franchise from drivers of 500 taxis enaged during the elections, DC said replying to a query.
DEO confirmed on having received a complaint against one Dayananda Jogi K who was in possession of two EPIC. Though a native of Manjeshwara in Kerala, Dayananda owned another EPIC which declared him as a resident of Kairangala in Bantwal taluk. A complaint against Dayananda for possessing more than one EPIC was also filed in Election Commission of India’s cVIGIL application.
Senthil, setting aside doubts of cross-voting in booths located in villages on the border between Karnataka and Kerala, said there are many checks and balances to prevent cross voting.
“If everything fails, agents present in the polling booth will prevent cross voting. This time presiding officers will closely monitor polling to ensure that none from ASD list (Absentee,Shifted, Duplicate) will cast their vote,” he said.