Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha Constituency has 15.72 lakh Voters – DC Dr K Vidyakumari
Udupi: “There are 15,72,958 voters eligible to exercise their franchise to choose the Lok Sabha Member for the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency elections which will be held on April 26”, said DC Dr K Vidyakumari during a pressmeet held at DC office Manipal on March 26.
Giving details about the preparations for the smooth polling in Udupi, Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer K. Vidyakumari said that elaborate arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair elections. The model code of conduct came into force immediately after the Election Commission of India announced the poll dates this afternoon.
Sufficient number of squads, checkposts, and other apparatus will be in place to keep tabs on financial and other transactions that might influence the electorate. Those conducting any programmes or functions should obtain prior permission from the assistant returning officers concerned, she said.
Of the 15,72,958 voters, about 8.12 lakh are from the four Assembly segments in Udupi district — Kundapur, Udupi, Kaup, and Karkala and about 7.6 lakh are from four AC segments in Chikkamagaluru district — Sringeri, Moodigere, Chikkamagaluru and Tarikere. There are 536 voters aged above 100 years. Ms Vidyakumari said adding, voters above the age of 85 may opt for voting from home. The administration still encourages senior citizens to visit their respective polling booth and exercise franchise.
The commission would set up 1,842 polling booths across the LS constituency, including 222 in Kundapur, 226 in Udupi, 209 each in Kaup and Karkala, 256 in Sringeri, 231 in Moodigere, 261 in Chikkamagaluru and 228 in Tarikere Assembly constituencies.U
CEO of Udupi Zilla Panchayat Prateek Bayal is the district nodal officer for model code of conduct, people may lodge complaint about the code violation by calling 0820-2574802 or sending WhatsApp message to 9880831516.
No sooner the code of conduct has come into force, civic personnel were seen removing government publicity material displayed at various public places in the district on Saturday.