Mysore/Mysuru: The countdown has begun for the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule in 2024, prompting senior officials in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts to initiate preparations.

The elections have been considered by major political parties as a litmus test of their influence, thereby heightening the risk of illicit activities aimed at securing victory. With the potential to influence voters through bribery and the distribution of various items disguised as campaign materials, efforts are underway to ensure impartial and transparent elections.

On Feb. 20, a meeting of senior police officials from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala border districts was convened at the conference hall of the Mudhumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. The agenda centred around addressing election irregularities and Maoist (Naxal) activities.

Against this backdrop, a high-level meeting of officers from the Mysuru and Chamarajanagar District Administrations and Police was held yesterday at Bandipur to strategise and implement measures to curb illegal activities before and during the elections.

The meeting included key figures such as Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra, Chamarajanagar DC Shilpa Nag, Mysuru ZP CEO K.M. Gayathri, Superintendent of Police Seema Latkar, Chamarajanagar SP Padmini Sahoo, Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve Dr. P. Ramesh Kumar, Tahsildars Ramesh Babu (Gundlupet), Shivakumar (Nanjangud), Srinivas (H.D. Kote), Basavaraju (Chamarajanagar), Manjula (Kollegal), Guruprasad (Hanur) & Jayaprakash (Yelandur), Food and Civil Supplies Joint Director Kumuda and ACF Navin, along with other representatives from Departments such as Revenue.

The officers emphasised the importance of heightened vigilance along the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu and Karnataka-Kerala border. They underscored the need for stringent measures to prevent any manipulation in the distribution of items to voters.

The Dindigul-Mysuru National Highway 948 passes through Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve and is used by both commercial and private vehicles in large numbers. Cooperation from the Forest Department is deemed crucial for conducting thorough vehicle inspections. Transparent and fearless voting processes must be ensured, particularly in tribal villages. 

Officers highlighted the necessity of imposing strict surveillance on illicit money transactions, alcohol distribution and other related activities originating from neighbouring States. The Forest officials pledged their cooperation in providing the necessary assistance requested by the District Administrations.

In the meeting, it was decided that district officials, SPs, Revenue officers and officials from Commercial Taxes and Finance Departments, among others, will exchange information and coordinate effectively to ensure smooth execution of tasks.

Checking only at designated places to minimise public inconvenience

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Chamarajanagar DC Shilpa Nag highlighted that the Lok Sabha Constituency of Chamarajanagar encompasses parts of the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border districts, along with Assembly Constituencies in Mysuru district.

“In light of this, effective coordination between officials from both districts is crucial for the smooth conduct of the election process. Chamarajanagar district shares borders with Mysuru, Mandya, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Learning from challenges faced in previous elections, it has been decided in the meeting to ensure the election process is conducted smoothly with utmost                            vigilance,” she stated.

To ensure proper scrutiny, stringent measures will be taken for vehicle inspections between Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts. It has been resolved to conduct inspections only at designated places to minimise inconvenience to travellers. Instead of inspections at every checkpoint, a system will be implemented where vehicles travelling along one route will be inspected at one designated point, she elaborated.

This method will involve officials from Chamarajanagar district on one end and officials from Mysuru district on the other, thereby reducing inconvenience to travellers.