Lok Sabha Elections Phase 2: Voting begins smoothly across Udupi District
Udupi: The Lok Sabha elections for Udupi-Chikkamgaluru began on Friday, April 26 morning smoothly at Udupi District.
Udupi-Chikkamagaluru has a total of 15,85,162 registered voters, comprising 7,68,215 males, 8,16,910 females, and 37 transgender individuals, with the highest concentration observed in Chikkamagaluru, amounting to 2,32,210 voters.
K. Jayaprakash Hegde Congress Candidate cast his vote along with his family members at Korgi Government School near Kundapur at 7.00 am.
K. Jayaprakash Hegde from the Indian National Congress, Kota Shrinivas Poojary from the Bharatiya Janata Party, K.T. Radhakrishna from the Bahujan Samaj Party, Supreeth Kumar Poojary of the Janahitha Party, R. Shabareesh of Karunada Sevaka Party, L. Ranganatha Gowda of the Karnataka Rashtra Samithi, M.K. Dayananda of the Proutist Sarva Samaj Party, B.K. Sachin of the Uttama Prajakiya Party and Independent candidates Sudhir Kanchan and Vijay Kumar, were in fray from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Loksabha Constituency.
According to Udupi SP Dr Arun K., of the 866 booths going for elections, 177 are critical booths, and all the normal booths have at least one policeman deployed. Dr Arun told reporters on Wednesday that all the individual booths are grouped into 57 sectors and a PSI or ASI monitors each sector. The 57 sector officers are overseen by 14 supervisory officers of the rank of Inspectors.
These supervisory officers are, in turn, monitored by four DSPs, one for each assembly constituency.
The 177 critical booths include 36 booths located in previously Naxal-affected areas. All 36 booths are provided with armed guards as per ECI guidelines. In addition, there are six armed police patrol vehicles, each covering six booths, and A DSP is deputed to monitor these 36 booths. The SP said this is in addition to the webcasting or micro-observer in those booths.
All Inspectors and officers above them have a separate striking force to respond to any law and order situation. Besides that, four reserve platoons are there to respond to unforeseen circumstances. In total, three SP rank officers, six DSPs, 15 Inspectors, 1501 policemen of other ranks, and around 500 reserve policemen are deployed as part of the security arrangement.