Preparations are in full swing for the impending by-election in Pipili assembly constituency on September 30 with the polling officials gradually fanning out to their respective allotted booths carrying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMS) and other necessary documents.
Polling is scheduled to take place in a total of 348 booths with strict adherence of the Covid-19 guidelines. While 102 booths have been declared ‘highly sensitive’, as many as 73 among those have been identified as ‘sensitive zones’.
In order to ensure transparency and better monitoring of the situation, voting at 175 critical and sensitive polling stations will be webcast on the polling day. Micro observers will be appointed at 23 polling booths. Moreover, 20 ideal booths have also been set up across the Assembly constituency for the high-voltage by-poll.
Meanwhile, Puri Collector Samarth Verma and other officials have reviewed the preparations ahead of the poll.
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“The dispersal of polling parties has started from today. The process will take place in a staggered manner in three phases from 6 am till today evening in accordance with the Covid appropriate behaviour,” said Verma on Tuesday.
“Central paramilitary forces along with locally trained police personnel will be deployed in all the polling booths. Additional security forces will be deployed at the vulnerable booths. Our sector officers have also been trained properly to deal with any kind of snags in EVMs which is a major cause of law and order,” said Verma.
Meanwhile, appraising about the preparations for the bypoll, Chief Election Commissioner Of Odisha Sushil Lohani said 200 out of 348 polling parties have been dispersed to various booths so far.
“A total of 1490 polling persons have been engaged in the election process. Besides 700 additional polling persons have also been appointed to ensure Covid appropriate behaviour during the election,” said Lohani.
Notably, the by-election to the Pipili assembly constituency was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Pradeep Maharathy in October last year. Altogether 10 candidates are in the fray for the September 30 by-election for which the counting of votes will take place on October 3.
Initially, the by-election was scheduled to be held on April 17. However, the by-poll was postponed following the death of Congress candidate Ajit Mangaraj due to Covid-19, just three days before voting on April 14, 2021.