About 450 election booths in Karnataka will be managed by All-Women teams. There are total 56,696 polling booths in Karnataka Assembly polls on May 12, according to an election official.
“A total of 450 all-women polling stations will be set up in the state for the election, where not just the police staff, but also the polling officers will be women,” Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar told the media in Bengaluru.
Polling for the 15th state assembly as single-phase will be held on May 12 and votes will be counted on May 15.
The total number of registered voters in the state are 4.96 crore according to officials. Among them about 2.52 are men and other 2.44 crore are women, according Mr Kumar.
“The number of new voters across the state has increased by 60 lakh, taking the total electorate to 4.96 crore as against 4.36 crore in 2013 Assembly elections,” he said.
Transgenders, numbering about 4,500 in the state will also voting in these elections. And about 15.42 lakh voters with age range 18-19 will be casting their votes for first time this election.
Each 224 assembly constituencies had an average of about 2.18 lakh voters and “A total of 3,56,552 polling personnel will be employed.”
Strongly emphasizing on having an inclusive election, the officer said additional facilities of ramps, wheelchairs will also be provided to allow the disabled persons to vote.
“Some of the officials with disabilities will be employed as the polling staff for the first time,” he said.
The state had selected Former Cricket Captain Rahul Dravid as the “state election icon” for the Southern State. The “Icon” will urge all the people in the state to vote, Mr Kumar said, while adding that an election anthem will also be created for awareness on voting by renowned Kannada film director and lyricist Yograj Bhat.
The panel for polling said that it was already taking awareness steps to put an increase in voting percentage of women and also the urban voters.
“A special drive is also being done to register excluded groups like primitive tribes, nomadic tribes for the poll. Special polling stations which bear ethnic look will be set up,” he added.
In the 225-member state assembly, with the inclusion of one nominated, there are currently atleast 122 members from the ruling Congress, 43 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 30 from the Janata Dal-Secular, eight Independents, 14 vacant seats, with few others from regional parties.
Of the total 224 constituencies, 36 are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and other 15 for Scheduled Tribes.
The southern state of Karnataka is considered to be a decisive battleground for Congress and BJP. Presently Congress is ruling the state and the BJP party wants to snatch power from it. After the defeat of BJP in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, the election will prove to be a test for BJP which will decide future course for the party with respect to gaining power at the center in future elections.
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