The Election Commission and Kottayam district administration have completed all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the byelection in Puthuppally on Tuesday.
Addressing media persons here, District Collector V. Vigneswari, who is the district election officer, and District Police Chief K. Karthik said the distribution of polling materials would begin at 7 a.m. on Monday. As many as 54 vehicles have been arranged to transport the polling officials to the polling booths.
A total of 228 ballot units, control units, and VVPAT machines, have been arranged for the Assembly constituency, besides an additional batch of 19 VVPAT machines as reserve.
A total of 872 officials that include 182 presiding officers, first polling officers, second polling officers and third polling officers have been appointed for polling duty. Additionally, 144 officers have been kept as reserve.
As many as 10 polling stations will be manned entirely by women. Women will be in charge of polling and security in these booths. Webcasting has been introduced in all 182 polling booths in association with C-DIT, IT Mission, Akshaya and BSNL. The proceedings at the polling booths from 5.30 am on Tuesday till the close of polling can be watched live through the control room at the Collectorate.
The assembly segment has 1,76,417 voters including 90,281 women and four transgenders. As many as 957 will be exercising their adult franchise for the first time in this election.
A total of 675 police personnel, including Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel led by five Deputy Ssuperintendent of police and seven Inspectors have been deployed in the constituency, besides the striking force teams led directly by the top officials.
As many as four polling booths at the Velloor Central LP School in Pampady have been marked as sensitive
Ban on liquor has come into force in the constituency 48 hours before the commencement of polling. A dry day will be in force on September 8, the day of counting of votes. Counting of votes will start from 8 a.m. on Friday at the counting centre set up at Baselios College auditorium in Kottayam.
The training for the 91 counting officials will be held at the District Collectorate on Monday afternoon.
