36 model polling booths in Aroor

There will be a total of 183 polling booths and facilities for the differently abled

As many as 36 model polling stations will be set up in the Aroor Assembly constituency for the October 21 bypoll.

According to officials, a special ‘welcome’ board will be placed in front of each model station. Besides, map of the locality will also be displayed. A help desk for providing assistance to voters and pandal for taking rest will be set up. Drinking water will be served at the resting place. A suggestion book will also be made available there.

For elderly and differently abled voters, first aid and wheelchair facilities will be provided. Volunteers will be deployed to help them.

The highest number of five model polling stations will be set up in Kodamthuruth panchayat. It is followed by Kuthiyathodu (4), Thycattuserry (4), Aroor (4), Ezhupunna (4), Panavally (4), Thuravoor South (4) Arookutty (3), Perumbalam (2) and Pallippuram (2).

There will be a total of 183 polling booths in the constituency. The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be used at all polling booths. Additional EVMs and VVPAT machines would be kept as a reserve in case of any malfunctioning, officials said.

In order to ensure transparency and better monitoring of any untoward incident, proceedings at polling stations identified as critical and sensitive would be webcast live on election day.

Second round over

Meanwhile, the second round randomisation of EVMs has been completed. On Tuesday, officials started the commissioning of the EVMs.

The process will be completed on Wednesday. New M3 EVMs would be used in the bypoll, officials added. With less than a week to go for the polls, the electioneering has reached fever-pitch in the constituency.

The byelection was necessitated after legislator A.M. Ariff of the CPI(M) got elected to the Lok Sabha from the Alappuzha Parliament constituency.

A total of six candidates including Manu C. Pulickal of the CPI (M), Congress candidate Shanimol Usman, and K.P. Prakash Babu of the BJP are in the fray.

In 2016, Mr. Ariff defeated his nearest rival C.R. Jayaprakash of the Congress by a margin of 38,519 votes.

Source: Read Full Article