From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 25: As many as 35.58 lac young boys and girls, who have enrolled themselves for exercising their franchise for the first time in the May 5 assembly elections in Karnataka, are among the total of 4,36,36,966 (4.36 crore) electorate in the State.
Another 18 lac voters had recently enrolled themselves in the electoral rolls during the last few months.
Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha, who spoke to reporters on Thursday, said as many as 5.34 lac voters would cast their franchise for the first time in Bangalore.
There are 2,26,84,060 male and 2,13,82,916 female voters in the Sate among the total electorate of 4.36 crore, he said.
The total number of voters in Bangalore is 70,37,885, he said.
The Election Commission would set up 52,034 polling booths across the State, he said adding a total of 10,103 and 14,209 polling booths have been declared as hyper sensitive and sensitive.
The CEO said a total 65,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used for ensuring peaceful polling.
Each EVM can accommodate the names and symbols of 16 candidates in any assembly constituency.
With large number of assembly constituencies in the State having more than 16 candidates, the Election Commission has been forced to requisition more number of EVMs.
A total of 2.53 lac personnel would be roped in for polling work while 48,182 state police personnel would be deployed across the state to prevent untoward incidents.
Nearly 9,900 drivers and conductors have been asked to report for work.
The CEO said polling officials, including drivers; conductors and the police (total 3,11,142) would be given postal ballot papers to cast their votes.
To check malpractices, nearly 2,000 flying squads have been constituted and each squad is manned by 4-5 persons, including two police.
He said the authorities have seized illegal cash of Rs 10 lac at airport in Belgaum and one person was arrested. Illegal cash was seized in Bellary (Rs 16.5 lac in two different places), Koppal (Rs 10 lac), Kumta (Rs 8.35 lac), Davanagere (Rs 10.14 lac), and 43 solar streetlights worth Rs. 12 lac in Kanakapura.