District All Set for LS Polls, Dry Day to begin from 6 pm Today – DC Sasikanth Senthil
Mangaluru: “We have taken all the measures for the smooth polling process on April 18. Important activities and steps will be ensured during the last 72 hours prior to the poll day. The third randomization of polling personnel will be done on April 16 in the presence of the observer. 20 polling stations have been identified for SAKHI, 5 polling stations in tribal areas in ethnic style and 3 polling stations are set up for PWDs. A senior officer has been appointed as the nodal officer to coordinate and supervise polling personnel welfare measures. The help desk is situated at the AC level dispersal center to meet with the queries of the polling personnel on receipt of election allowances through bank account. A Welfare kit has been provided to all the polling personnel includes essential materials like toothpaste, soap, coconut oil sachet, mosquito paper coil, comb and matchbox. Voters should maintain peace and candidates should stop their campaign from April 16 (today) 6:00 pm. Voters should not be harassed on the Polling day, anyone trying to harass the voters will be severely dealt with. Section 144 will also be in force”, said the Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil in a press meet held at the DC office here on April 16.
Addressing the mediapersons DC Sasikanth Senthil said, “There are 1861 polling booths in the district and 17,24,460 voters of which 8,45308 are men, 8,79,050 women and 102 others. Voter slips have already been distributed to the registered voters. Those who have lost their epic card can come to the polling booth with their driving license or pan card, Aadhar card, passport etc to cast their vote. We have already sent the postal ballots to 13000 polling officers, including police officers and staff, election duty drivers and other staffs. So far we have received 1033 postal ballots.
• The Polling Personnel is all being provided with a basic medical kit.
1. Tablet Paracetamol
2. Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)
3. Bandage
4. Gauge Pad
5. Iodine Ointment
6. Gloves
Deployment of Micro-observers, Video Camera, Still Camera, Web Casting etc:
• Nodal Officer for Micro-observers is been appointed for district level
• Micro-observers from the dispatch centers will be sent with the polling team to the Polling Station. They will return to the receipt center with the polling teams.
• 110 locations are been identified for webcasting
• Live streaming is provided from the polling Stations to the DC control room
• 79 buses are been arranged for polling personnel’s to be dispatched to their respective polling stations.
Intensified Monitoring and Surveillance By the Flying Squads (FS) and Static Surveillance teams (SSTs):
• During the last 72 hours, the contact numbers of Magistrate as head of the FS and other officials in FS is been provided to the Complaint Monitoring Control Room, Call Centre, RO, DEO, General Observer, Police Observer, Expenditure Observer and Assistant Expenditure Observer.
• A complaint regarding the distribution of cash or liquor or any other item of bribe or regarding the movement of antisocial elements or arms and ammunition is received, the FS shall reach the spot immediately.
Areas of Special Focus for expenditure monitoring:
• The use of Marriage Halls/ Community Halls and similar places will be kept under watch.
• Checking during the last 72 hours and see that no fake party is being organized for influencing the voters.
• List of bookings of Marriage/community halls, falling on P-3 to Poll day, will be scrutinizing the lists and will ensure that in case of any suspicion about feeding on a large scale by political parties/candidates, necessary steps are taken to prevent it.
• No community kitchen to entertain the electors should be arranged by the Candidates or any other person from P-3 day till the end of poll or re-poll if any.
• Gatherings at guest houses and Dharam-shalas will be kept under vigil during the last 72 hours to ensure that these are not used by political parties or candidates to influence voters in any manner.
Vehicle Permissions:
• There will be a total and absolute ban on the use of official vehicles for campaigning, electioneering or election-related travel during elections.
• On receipt of a request from a recognized political party, the DEO will issue a permit for one vehicle to be used by the district level office bearer of a recognized party (other than the star campaigner) for their visit to multiple ACs within the district for electioneering purposes. The expenditure in this regard will be booked against the political party and not the candidates.
Model Code of Conduct for Political Parties and candidates:
• A campaign by candidates amplifies during P-3 and P-2 day up to 48 hours from the close of poll, it will be ensured no party or candidate will include any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.
• Criticism of other political parties, when made, will be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work.
• There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes. Mosques, Churches, Temples or other places of worship shall not be used as a forum for election propaganda.
Special efforts to curb misuse of money power:
• During the last 72 hours, a close tracking will be made by each and every Thana officer regarding payments and other forms of inducement to the voter.
• Proper checking at the inter-State border and commercial tax check post will be helpful in tracking such transportation of liquor.
• Worry List of polling station/ locations will be obtained from candidates and their agents
• Intrastate and inter-State movements of trucks and commercial vehicles shall be strictly checked with a view to preventing smuggling of arms and ammunition and anti-social elements. Raids will be carried out regularly and intensively on underground arms factories.
• Strict vigil and thorough checking of lorries, light vehicles and all other vehicles from 3 days before the poll till counting of votes to ensure that no undesirable elements or arms and ammunition are being transported from outside.
• Extensive patrolling duty on assigned routes covering the State/ International Border.
• Placement of NAKA at Strategic Points with an element of surprise checking to start immediately with the announcement of election by the Election Commission of India.
Last 48 Hours
Issuance of Orders Under 144 CrPC:
• Orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) are issued regarding the ban on unlawful assemblies and prohibition on holding of public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll, applicable for the areas/constituencies bound for polls.
Restriction on Presence of Political functionaries in a constituency after the campaign period is over
• The presence of political functionaries/party workers/procession-functionaries/ campaign-functionaries etc., who have been brought from outside the constituency and who are not voters of the constituency, will not continue to remain present in the constituency as their continued presence after campaign ends may undermine the atmosphere for free and fair poll.
Excise Enforcement:
• Special drives will be launched to unearth illicit liquor making factories and information about seizures will be made.
• Dry Day’ has been declared and notified under relevant state laws for the stipulated period for the poll.
• No loudspeaker shall be permitted to be used during the period of 48 hours ending with the poll closing time.
Media Matters
• Exit Poll is prohibited under the Law from the period from the start of the poll in the first poll day and 30 minutes after the end of poll on the last poll date in a state/country.
• No result of any opinion poll conducted at any time shall be published, pub disseminated, in any manner whatsoever, in or by any print or electronic media, 48 hours ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of poll.
Issuance of Authority letters to media persons:
• Authority letter will be issued only to the eligible persons, as sponsored by the competent authority, the list of which containing the detailed particulars and image of the media persons will have to be approved by the Commission well in advance and the distribution of the Authority letters will have to be completed by P-2 day.
Poll Day: General Restrictions on the poll day: Regulation on of plying of vehicles on poll day
• 79 buses are been arranged for polling personnel’s to be dispatched to their respective polling stations.
• One vehicle for a candidate, one vehicle for election agent and one vehicle for candidate’s workers/party workers in each assembly will be allowed.
• If the candidate is absent from constituency, no other person allowed to use the vehicle allotted to him
• No other vehicle will be allowed to be used by any leader.
• Carrying of voters by these vehicles – Corrupt practice u/s 133 and penal action u/s 123(5) of RP Act, 1951.
• Providing free conveyance to voters to and from the polling stations by a candidate/his agent is a corrupt practice and strictly forbidden.
• Private vehicles being used by owners either for themselves or for members of their own family for going to the polling booth to exercise their franchise, but not going anywhere within a radius of 200 meters of a polling station;
• Vehicles used for essential services namely hospital vans, ambulance, milk
• vans, water tankers, electricity emergency duty vans, police on duty, officers on election duty;
• Public transport carriages like buses plying between fixed termini and on fixed routes
• Taxis, three wheeler scooters, rickshaws etc. for going to airports, railway stations, interstate bus stands, hospitals for journeys which cannot be avoided;
• Private vehicles used by sick or disabled persons for their own use;
• Vehicles being used by the Govt. officers on duty to reach their duty point.
• Private vehicles used by owners for themselves/ family members for going to the polling booth to vote, not to be allowed within a radius of 200 meters of PS.
• No leader of a political party shall use private fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for the purposes of supervising and monitoring the polling and counting process on the days of poll and counting.
No Canvassing within PS or Any public or private place within a distance of 100 meters of a PS:
• phones, cordless phone etc., not to be allowed except officers on duty in the 100 meters of a PS.
• During polling, PRO and other staff shall keep their mobile “switch off in the PS. If required they can talk from outside the polling booth.
• Booth Level Officer to be stationed outside the polling booth at the Voter Assistance Booth (VAB). He should keep the mobile phone switched on, along with the Alphabetical roll locator for the PS, one set of voter slips, along with undistributed voters slips near the polling stations.
Prohibition of loudspeakers, prohibition of loudspeakers, megaphones etc and disorderly conduct – within 100 mtrs of a polling station:
• Amplifying or reproducing the human voice by any apparatus not allowed. • In case of contravention, such apparatus be seized.
• 7 Shouting or otherwise act in a disorderly manner not allowed.
• Penal action also to be taken.
Candidates Election Booths:
The candidates may provide one table and two chairs for the use of their agents and workers for the distribution of unofficial identity slips to voters beyond a distance of 200 meters from the polling station with an umbrella or a piece of tarpaulin over their head to protect from the sun/rain. No crowd should be allowed to collect around such tables.
Going Armed to /near a polling station:
• None except authorized security personnel can enter within 100 meters of any polling station.
• Security personnel attached to any person not to be allowed inside the polling booth.
Entry into polling station:
• Only persons entitled under rule 49-D of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 be allowed.
• Media person not to capture photographs of the balloting process in any manner that will reveal the secrecy of the ballot.
• Everyone must have a valid pass properly displayed before entering the polling booth.
• Where the CPF is deployed, a Jawan will stand at the entrance – Not inside the PS and shall not enter the polling booth, except when called by PRO.
Grant of paid holiday to employees on the date of the poll:
• Order On Grant Of Holiday To Employees Is Already Issued By The State Government. On 18-04-2019 is declared as a holiday as per the Negotiable Instrument Act 1881.
Polling station facilities: Voter Assistance Booth:
• Officials for each premise having three or more PSs will be appointed to facilitate voters in locating their particulars.
• Roll in alphabetical order, in English, to locate quickly.
• In case one or two PSs in the premises, this list (in addition to marked copies) be given to PRO for easy identification.
Facilities for the physically challenged electors
• They should be given priority for entering PS without having to wait in a queue.
• Full facility be provided to take their wheelchairs inside the PS.
• PRO should follow the provisions of Rule 49N – regarding the companion of blind/infirm voter.
Critical polling station management plan:
MICRO-OBSERVER ISSUES: Work to be done by Micro-observers Micro observers will do the following at the polling station –
• Assess the preparedness at the Polling Station.
• Check the availability of Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) at the Polling Station and certify, before the start of Polling.
• Watch the mock poll and see that it is carried out as per the instructions of the Commission.
• See that the votes in the CU are cleared after the mock poll and before the start of the actual poll and that mock poll certificate is signed by the Presiding Officer.
• During the poll day, he should regularly note down the important points for his report in the format.
• It is made absolutely clear that in no case the Micro observer will act as Presiding Officer or the polling officer. His task is to observe that the election process is being carried out in a free and fair manner and there is no vitiation of the poll.
Videography, still-photography /webcasting:
Use of Video Cameras and Still Cameras on the Poll day at Polling Stations-
• Video cameras shall be used at as many Polling Stations as possible to keep a watch on the proceedings.
• Still cameras shall be used at all those polling stations, where Micro-observers, video cameras or webcasting is not being used.
• In this manner, all critical Polling Stations shall be at least covered by some method to keep a watch on the proceedings. Food for videographers/photographers
• Food shall be provided to videographers and it shall be ensured that the videographers/ photographers DO NOT accept the hospitality of any contesting candidate or political party or their workers.
• All video teams should be under the personal supervision and guidance of a senior election officer. given below:
Webcasting
• 110 locations are been identified for webcasting.
Role of CAPF/Police:
Role of CAPF: • Guarding the polling stations, poll materials, poll personnel and the poll.
• Static guarding of trouble spots.
• Patrolling duty on assigned routes covering a fixed cluster of polling stations.
• Patrolling duty as ‘flying squads’ in a defined area with a surprise element.
• Escorting duty of polled EVM.
Guard duty of Polled EVMs until counting Role of state police:
• Maintenance of the general law and order in the catchment area of the polling stations and inside and outside of the polling premises.
• Ensure the safety of Voters, polling personnel and polling material.