BENGALURU: With just hours left for voting, hectic preparations are under way for polling across Bengaluru. There will be 8,802 polling stations across the city and will have various themes.
The election authorities have set up 264 theme-based voting booths and 140 pink (Sakhi) booths, or the physically challenged, green booths, digital booths and for the youth. In every Assemby constituency, there will be five pink booths to encourage participation of women voters.
There are 28 Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru and a total of 97,15,109 registered voters which includes 50,24,665 men, 46,86,813 women, 1,761 Others and 1,760 in-service voters. There will be 1,43,536 young voters for the May 10 Assembly election.
The election officials have identified, Anekal, Bengaluru South, Mahadevapura, KR Puram, Hebbal, Sarvajna Nagar, C V Raman Nagar, Shantinagar, Shivajinagar, Chamarajpet, Chickpet, Padmanabha Nagar, Jayanagar, Bommanahalli, BTM Layout, Yeshwantpur, Malleswaram, Dasarahalli and Rajajinagar and sensitive areas.
Over the last three months, the election heat has been rising in the state, more so after the Election Commission of India announced the election schedule. In 2018, the city had recorded just 54.01 polling percentage whereas the state, overall recorded 72.10 per cent voting.
Meanwhile, there is increased vigil at the interstate borders ahead of polling day. So far, the election authorities have seized cash and other articles worth Rs 230 crore including cash of Rs 105 crore, and registered 2,896 FIRs.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Alok Kumar said 84,000 police and central forces have been deployed to ensure smooth conduct of polls. “At the 185 border checkposts, we are in touch with authorities from neighbouring states to prevent people coming from outside and indulging in electoral fraud. All senior officer were on night rounds on Monday and we will do the same on Tuesday too”, he said.
Further, Alok Kumar said all major jails in the state have been raided twice. “On Monday, the houses of history-sheeters were raided to check if those who are externed have returned and we found one person in Mysuru. Over 730 history-sheeters have been externed from the state. We have also taken bonds from 5,000 people”, he added.