Polling in Karnataka will come to a close next week when Jayanagar goes to vote on June 11. The District Election Officer (DEO) Maheshwar Rao, who is the BBMP commissioner, at a press conference on Thursday, announced that counting will be held on June 13 at SSMRV College.
The DEO had earlier countermanded the election for Jayanagar after the death of BJP candidate B.N. Vijayakumar. To garner sympathy votes, the BJP has fielded his brother B.N. Prahalad.
Former home minister Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy will be contesting on a Congress ticket.
Seventeen others are also in the fray.
The district election officer and BBMP Commissioner Maheshwar Rao said that Jayanagar has 2.03 lakh voters, out of which 1.03 are male and one lakh are women. Measures have been taken to ensure that waiting rooms are provided for voters at polling stations wherever space is available.
There are 216 polling booths spread in seven wards, of which five are pink booths, manned by women personnel. A total of 1,400 polling personnel will be deployed for various election duties.
Mr. Rao said that for the first time beds, pillows, medical kits, wellness kits (soap, brush, paste, mosquito coil) will be provided to the polling staff on the eve of the election day. The EC will also distribute saplings to polling personnel after completion of polling.
Webcasting facility will be provided from 50 polling booths and 60 micro observers will be deployed. The Election Commission is deploying 10 companies of central paramilitary forces in addition to the local police.
Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar said that 14 FIRs have been registered in connection with violation of the model code of conduct, and cash and the valuables worth Rs. 30.82 lakh have been seized.