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Panchayat elections in Udupi all set for today


Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Feb 20, 2016 : Elections will be held in 936 polling stations in the district, including 394 polling stations in Udupi taluk, 356 polling stations in Kundapur taluk, and 186 polling stations in Karkala taluk. The randomisation of ballot boxes for the 936 polling stations was done at the respective taluk headquarters on Friday.


elections Udupi 1


Of the 936 polling stations in the district, 136 are sensitive and 51 hyper sensitive polling stations. There are 54 polling stations in naxal-affected areas.  All is set for the zilla and taluk panchayat elections in Udupi district Feb 20, today. Polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tight security arrangements have been made at 54 polling stations in naxal-affected areas. There are 27 polling booths each in naxal-affected areas in Kundapur and Karkala taluks.

In all, 2,400 policemen and officers have been pressed into service for security during the elections. According to K. Annamalai, Superintendent of Police, six parties of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and four units of the District Armed Reserve (DAR) Police have also been pressed into service.

There is tight vigil over hyper-sensitive booths. Personnel from the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) and units of DAR would guard polling stations in naxal-affected areas, he said.

Competing :  As many as 77 candidates are in the fray for 26 zilla panchayat seats in the district. While the Congress and the BJP are fighting in all the 26 seats, the Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded six candidates and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have fielded four candidates each. As many as 11 Independent candidates are also trying their luck. A total of 233 candidates are in fray for the 98 taluk panchayat seats in Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala.

Voter numbers ;  A total of 7,93,523 voters — 3,80,030 men, 4,13,471 women and 22 transgenders — are eligible to cast their votes in the zilla and taluk panchayat elections in the district.

Voters can use either Voter Identity Card or any one of the 22 documents, including passport, driving licence, PAN card, ration cards with photographs, and MNGREGA identity cards, approved by the government.