With the Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency all set for the elections scheduled on April 26 under the first phase of polls in the State, the public campaign will come to an end on Wednesday at 6 p.m. There has to be no public campaigning - silence period - in the constituency 48 hours before the end of polling. However, door-to-door campaigning is allowed.
The polling will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The indelible ink has to be applied on the left index finger of the voter after he or she casts their vote. The Mysuru district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the polls with preparations almost done with the support of the city and district police and various other departments.
The month-long poll blitzkrieg will draw to a close on Wednesday, and those who have come from other parts of the state to hold campaigns and are not voters of this constituency are expected to leave after the campaigning ends, according to the election authorities.
In connection with the April 26 poll, the Deputy Commissioner and returning officer K.V. Rajendra addressed a press conference at his office on Tuesday to share details of the arrangements. Police Commissioner B. Ramesh, ZP CEO K.M. Gayathri, S.P. Seema Latkar, and ADC P. Shivaraj were present.
Polling will take place in eight Assembly constituencies – six in Mysuru district and two in Kodagu district. A total of 20,92,222 voters are eligible to cast their ballot. They include 10,26,324 male, 10,65,714 female, and 184 others.
Voters will cast their ballot at 2,202 polling booths in Chamundeshwari, Krishnaraja, Chamaraja, Narasimharaja, Hunsur, and Periyapatna constituencies (all in Mysuru), and Madikeri and Virajpet (in Kodagu).
K.R. Nagar in Mysuru district is part of Mandya Lok Sabha seat and H.D. Kote, Nanjangud, Varuna, and T. Narsipura, all part of Mysuru district, come under Chamarajanagar LS constituency. K.R. Nagar has 2,18,786 voters, including 1,08,008 male, 1,10,766 female, and 12 others while Varuna, T. Narsipura, Nanjangud, and H.D. Kote together comprise 9,01,866 voters, including 4,47,076 male, 4,54,745 female, and 45 others, Dr. Rajendra told reporters.
In total, 9,809 election staff, including 2,434 presiding officers (PROs), 2,482 APROs, and 4,893 polling officers, have been appointed to conduct the polls in 2,202 booths. All these officers have undergone two rounds of training, he added.
The Deputy Commissioner said polling staff can cast their postal ballot until 12 noon of April 25 at the facilitation centre set up at the DC’s office and the assistant returning officers (AROs) in the taluks. So far, 2,228 polling staff have cast their postal ballot, the Commissioner said.
Mustering and Demustering centres have been established in all eight Assembly constituencies and the respective polling staff have been asked to report to the centres on April 25.
As many 473 KSRTC buses besides 33 MUVs and 79 mini-buses will ferry the polling staff to their respective booths.
In Mysuru and Kodagu, 40 Sakhi or all women officers booths will function. In addition, two ethnic, eight each booths run by the persons with disabilities and young staff, besides seven theme-based booths. All booths will be equipped with basic facilities, including wheelchairs, and magnifying glasses will be provided to voters. Senior citizens and PwDs will get vehicles to reach their booths. Braille ballot papers have also been supplied to the booths to facilitate the visually challenged voters, he said.
