107 booths in Panipat sensitive

Tribune News Service

Panipat, December 10

The district administration has identified 107 polling booths as sensitive, with 36 falling in the hyper-sensitive category, out of the total 278 booths for the civic polls scheduled on December 16.

Sumedha Kataria, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer, said a total of 3,28,259 voters would exercise their franchise on December 16. A total of 1,360 employees of various departments would conduct the election in 278 booths.

Besides, the police have made special arrangements for the purpose. They have planned to establish 27 internal and outer nakas in the city under the jurisdiction of four police stations. Nearly 1,600 police personnel, including 370 women police personnel, would be deployed in the city.

Sumit Kumar, Superintendent of Police, said all arrangements had been planned for the polling day to conduct the elections peacefully.

Extra force would be deployed in sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths. I have also ordered to conduct special checking of hotels and dharmashalas in the city, he said.

A meeting of the contestants for the mayor’s post and councillors was held today at the seminar hall in the mini-secretariat.

Sumedha Kataria, SP Sumit Kumar, ADC-cum-returning officer Sujan Singh Yadav and all AROs were present at the meeting.

The voters would be using new EVMs for the first time. A voter would cast his vote first for the mayor’s post then for the councillor’s post. It was important to note that if a voter cast his/her vote for single post, it would not be counted as a valid one, Kataria said.

The carrying of weapons of all kinds has been banned and these have to be deposited at the nearest police station immediately.

A mayoral candidate can use five vehicles and a councillor candidate can use only two vehicles for the election purpose, she said. All shops would be closed on the polling day and no work on the day, she asserted.

Sujan Singh Yadav, ADC-cum-returning officer said, if any supporter of a candidate installed flexes and candidate’s photo and name on it, it would be counted in the expenditure of the candidate.