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All set for Padampur bypoll today
Sushil Kumar Lohani
l About 2,57,474 voters, which include 1,29,497 males, 1,27, 965 females and 12 transgenders will be exercising their franchise at 319 booths, six of which are pink booths and 15 model booths l The administration has deployed nine companies of Central paramilitary forces and 41 platoons of State police forces to maintain law and order during the polling l A total of 1,276 polling officers are deployed while 128 polling officers, comprising 32 teams, are kept in reserve l 181 licensed arms have been deposited in police stations and 1,006 persons have been booked under preventive sections and 264 non-bailable warrants executed
Bhubaneswar: All arrangements for the bypoll to Padampur Assembly seat on Monday have been completed, State Chief Electoral Officer Sushil Kumar Lohani told mediapersons here on Sunday.
About 2,57,474 voters, which include 1,29,497 males, 1,27, 965 females and 12 transgenders will be exercising their franchise at 319 booths, six of which are pink booths and 15 model booths.
Lohani said 74 booths are located in the Maoist-affected areas and 78 have been marked as sensitive. The administration has deployed nine companies of Central para military forces and 41 platoons of State police forces to maintain law and order during the polling, which will commence at 7 am and continue till 4 pm.
Lohani said the polling parties, EVMs, election materials and security arrangements are all in place. A total of 1,276 polling officers are deployed while 128 polling officers, comprising 32 teams, are kept in reserve. The CEO said the silent period has come into force from 4 pm on Saturday and the Collector, the SP and the Returning Officer have been instructed to ensure that all political party workers, star campaigners and candidates who are not voters of Padampur constituency leave the area during the period.
Lohani said no person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or disseminate the result of any vexit poll during the period from 7 am to 4.30 pm on poll day. Any violation in this regard will invite a punishment of two years imprisonment or fine or both as per Section 126 A of Representation of People Act, 1951.
During the period of 48 hours pending the hour fixed for the closure of poll, there is prohibition on display of results of Opinion Poll or any other poll survey. Any canvassing within 100 metres of booth will be treated as an offence and violators could be arrested without warrant.
The poll day is being declared as paid holiday for all government employees as well as private employees who are voters in the constituency.
Lohani said 181 licensed arms have been deposited in police stations and 1,006 persons have been booked under preventive sections and 264 non-bailable warrants executed.
The ruling BJD has fielded Barsha Singh Bariha, daughter of BJD MLA Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, whose demise necessitated the bypoll, while the BJP has fielded Pradip Purohit, a former MLA who had won the Assembly seat in 2014. The Congress has nominated senior party leader Satya Bhusan Sahu, also a former MLA of the constituency.
