Kerala assembly polls: 883 candidates, 2.71 crore voters as preparations completed

Kerala has completed all preparations for the Assembly polls scheduled on April 9, Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar said on Tuesday.

Kerala CEO Rathan U Kelkar on Tuesday said that all preparations have been made for the April 9 Assembly polls in which 883 candidates will seek the mandate of 2.71 crore voters in the state.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kelkar, at a press conference here, said that 30,495 polling stations have been set up in the state for voting process.

These include 24 auxiliary polling stations which were needed after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral list was carried out, he said.

The new booths will be set up in Kasaragod, Kannur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts of the state, he said.

Of these polling booths, 352 will be operated by women and 37 by disabled persons, Kelkar said.

He also said that there were 140 distribution and collection centres and ballots will be counted at 140 strongrooms and 43 locations.

“As part of managing the poll process, we have deployed 1.46 lakh trained polling officials. For maintaining law and order and ensuring a peaceful voting, 76,000 police and central forces personnel have been deployed,” he said.

Besides these, around 2,000 people, suspected to be troublemakers, have been put under preventive detention, executed 11,000 non-bailable warrants and 3,400 posts which allegedly violated poll rules were removed from social media, he said.

Special arrangements have also been made at polling stations to give a festive feeling to voters, he said.

Additionally, 30 new initiatives, including facility to deposit mobile phones at the polling station, have been launched by the Election Commission in connection with the polls, Kelkar said.

He further said that 98 per cent of home voting, 95 per cent voting of emergency services personnel and 50 per cent voting of polling personnel have been completed.

Kelkar said that the silent period comes into effect from Tuesday 6 pm and the exit poll prohibition will operate from 9 am on April 9 to 6.30 pm on April 29.

Campaign through any media or public is restricted during the silent period and it applies to press meets, conferences and interviews, he said.