Mysuru:  It is just five days before the election to the 15th Assembly in Karnataka. The District Administration and SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) Committee are fully geared up to conduct the elections in the District’s 11  constituencies.

There are many firsts introduced in this election by the Election Commission of India (ECI). This is for the first time that the SVEEP officials will reach the voters slips to the voter’s houses by Sunday evening. It is also the first time that voters guide in Kannada, which explains the DOs and DON’Ts will be given to the voters, said Deputy Commissioner and District Electoral Officer Abhiram G. Sankar.

He was addressing a press conference here recently at the DC’s Office and said that apart from the above mentioned firsts, the others are 24 Pink booths for women only, three Physically Weaker and Disabled (PWD) booths manned by the Physically Challenged and four Ethnic booths in tribal Haadis.

Rs.1.14 crore worth cash, liquor, vehicles seized: A total of Rs. 1.14 crore worth cash, liquor, vehicles and nearly Rs. 8.42 crore worth household articles have been recovered from the time Model Code of Conduct was announced on Mar.27.

The Excise Department has conducted 1,408 raids, arrested 293 persons and registered 528 cases. 39,777 litre liquor worth Rs. 58.42 lakh and 56 vehicles have been seized and the total worth is Rs.91.80 lakh, he said.

From the time Model Code of Conduct came into force, 73 complaints have been received for Poll code violations out of which 70 FIRs have been registered against the violators. In H.D. Kote taluk, ornaments resembling gold have been recovered. So far 171 different types of vehicles have been seized, he said.

Election details: In all, 2,860 polling booths including 173 auxiliary ones have been set up in Mysuru district. There are 12.51 lakh men, 12.41 lakh women and 189 other voters in the district. Varuna constituency with 23 candidates records the highest number in the fray, while H.D. Kote with only seven contesting, records the lowest in the district.

There are 150 Static Surveillance and 95 flying squads fitted with GPS working in the field. A complaint room has been set up at the District Office and  in case of any complaint, the flying squad will reach the spot in 20 minutes.

A total of 16,541 staff have been deployed for the May 12 election. The training for them was held on weekends. The EVMs and VVPATs have been randomised. There are 382 critical booths in rural areas and 250 in Mysuru city. Chamundeshwari, Varuna and T. Narasipur have been classified as Expenditure Sensitive Constituencies.  There will be web-casting in 150 polling booths, said Sankar.

The four tribal haadis where Ethnic booths in a hut form will be set up are in, Girijana Ashrama Shale, Basavanagiri in H.D. Kote taluk, Government Higher Primary School, Ane Male in D.B. Kuppe of H.D. Kote taluk, Girijana Ashrama Shale in Nagapura of Hunsur Taluk and Girijana Ashrama Shale in Mutturu Colony of Periyapatna Taluk.

The election officials manning the booth will be in the traditional gear, wearing Mysuru Peta, shalu and panche, thus trying to attract the tribals to the voting booths. The three PWD booths being set up are at Haniyangamballi in Varuna Constituency, Shiramalli of Nanjangud and PU College in Shivapura, he said.

In the 2,687 polling stations, there will also be Voters Welfare Officers named to check for water, electricity and toilet  facilities, he said.

Voting timing: Voting on May 12 begins at 7 am and ends at 6 pm. Those who are in the queue before 6 pm will be given tokens and they can cast their votes. Anyone coming after 6 pm will not be allowed to vote.

The public campaign by the political parties and candidates will stop 48 hours before the polling date and that is on May 10 evening, said Sankar.

ZP CEO and SVEEP Committee Chairman P. Shivashankar, SP Amith Singh and Information Department Assistant  Director R. Raju were present.