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Stage Set for BMC Polls Tomorrow

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The New Indian Express               07.01.2014 

Stage Set for BMC Polls Tomorrow

Electoral officials checking electronic voting machine (EVM) in Bhubaneswar on Monday I Shamim Qureshy
Electoral officials checking electronic voting machine (EVM) in Bhubaneswar on Monday I Shamim Qureshy

With the Capital City all set for election to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), workers of different parties are busy drawing up electoral rolls in each Ward to help the voters.

BMC election will take place on Wednesday and the Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) has set up 660 booths across the city.

Of the total booths, 376 booths have been declared hyper-sensitive and 187 booths sensitive. Each booth will have four polling officers in addition to police personnel.

In the sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths, SEC officials said additional police force will be deployed.

Every polling booth will have one electronic voting machine (EVM) except in Ward 21 which will have two EVMs.

According to reports, 19 candidates are contesting from Ward 21 and one EVM can register 16 candidates. Hence, the two EVMs are being used to accommodate the three additional candidates. The polling will begin from 8 am and continue till 5 pm.

In every Ward, party workers are working overtime to know the number of voters and tallying their names with electoral list.

The campaign concluded at 5 pm on Monday. Candidate of Ward 35 Sheikh Nizamuddin said even though they have asked the voters to go for the polling, they cannot be sure about the final turnout.

Eight candidates are contesting from Ward 35. Ward 45 candidate Amaresh Jena said tallying of electoral rolls with the voters began four days back. His supporters have been asked to help elderly people with transport to the polling booths, he added.

Voters can cast votes after producing any of the documents including voter identity card, passport, driving licence, PAN card, ration card, ex-servicemen’s widow or dependent certificate, certificate of disability and others. SEC has permitted 25 identification documents which can be used by the voters at the polling booth.