The model code of conduct (MCC) in view of the upcoming byelection to Vattiyurkavu has been confined within the Legislative Assembly Constituency and will not extend across the capital district, District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan has said.
Addressing media persons, Mr. Gopalakrishnan, who is also the District Election Officer, said the enforcement of the model code differed in Vattiyurkavu bypoll’s case to that in Konni, Aroor, Ernakulam and Manjeshwaram constituencies.
While the entire districts will come under MCC’s purview in the case of bypolls in the other four constituencies, in the case of Vattiyurkavu, the capital district would not fully come under the MCC purview. However, no announcements of new schemes or projects pertaining to the constitutency could be made from elsewhere, he said.
The Collector added that the poll preparation for the upcoming elections commenced with Anukumari, Assistant Collector, being designated the MCC squad nodal officer and Geo T. Manoj, Assistant Commissioner (Disaster Management), Land Revenue Commissionerate, the returning officer.
MCC squad
The MCC squad, comprising of Senior Superintendent Executive Magistrate K.P. Jayakumar and three armed police officers, began functioning in the constituency. Mr. Gopalakrishnan also convened a meeting of representatives of various political parties. The parties were provided time till Tuesday to submit requests regarding the shifting of polling stations.
The deadline of submission of nominations is September 30. No nominations where submitted on Monday.
There were 1,95,601 voters, including 1,02,252 women, 93,347 men and two transgenders, in the constituency.
As many as 375 service voters have been enrolled in the constituency.
The Vattiyurkavu constituency has a total of 168 polling stations and 48 polling station locations. Mr. Gopalakrishnan said while 36 polling booths in the constituency were designated as sensitive during the recent general elections, the count could vary depending on the recommendations of the police. No booths have currently been identified as hyper-sensitive or vulnerable in the region.
While St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Pattom, will be the distribution centre for electronic voting machines, the district administration is yet to finalise the counting centre.