Bhubaneswar, Dec 4: All arrangements for the bypoll to Padampur Assembly seat in Odisha on Monday have been completed, State Chief Electoral Officer SK Lohani told newsmen here on Sunday.
About 2,57, 474 voters which included 1,29,497 males, 1,27,965 females and 12 Trans genders will be exercising their franchise at 319 booths, six of which are pink booths and 15 model booths.
Lohani said 74 booths are located in the Maoist affected areas and 78 have been marked as sensitive ones.
The authority has deployed nine companies of central para military forces and 41 platoons of state police forces to maintain law and order situation during the polling, which will commence at 07 00 hours and continue till 1600 hours.
He said the Polling Parties, EVMs, Election materials, Security arrangements – all are in place. A total of 1276 Polling Officers are deployed while 128 Polling Officers, comprising 32 teams which are kept in reserve.
The CEO said the silent period has come into force from 4.00 p.m. of Saturday and the Collector, S.P. and Returning Officer have been instructed to ensure that all Political party workers, Star campaigners and Candidates who are not voters of padampur constituency leave the area during the period.
Dry days have also been declared from Saturday afternoon 48 hours before the time fixed for Poll and sale or distribution of liquors or the substances of similar nature in hotels, restaurants, shops or any other place are banned during this period.
Lohani said no person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or disseminate the result of any exit poll during the period from 7.00AM. till 4.30 PM of Poll day. Any violation in this regard will invite a punishment of two years imprisonment or fine or both as per Sec.126 A of R.P.Act,1951.
During the period of 48 hours preceding the hour fixed for the closure of Poll there is prohibition on display of results of Opinion Poll or any other Poll survey as per Sec.126(1) (b) of R.P.Act,1951.
Any canvassing within 100 meters of the Booth will be treated as an offence and violators could be arrested without warrant u/s- 130 of R.P.Act-1951.
The Poll day is being declared as paid holiday for all the Government employees as well as private employees who are voters in the constituency.
Special arrangements have been made for P.w.D Voters from their houses to booth and back.Also ramps, separate queue, Volunteers with wheelchairs have been arranged at each booth for them, Lohani said.
He said 181 licensed arms have been deposited in police stations concerned and 1006 persons have been booked under preventive sections and 264 Non bailable warrants have been executed.
The CEO said so far 16,424 cases of misuse of Public property and 8695 cases of defacement have been recorded. As many as 38 complaints have been received from political parties which were sent to DEO for enquiry and in most of the cases after due enquiry action has been taken.
He said 14 FIRs have been registered against different persons in view of law and order situation and violation of model code of conduct.
On the Polling day on December 5,mock poll will start at 5.30 a.m. followed by Poll at 7.00 a.m and two-hourly voting turn out report will be released for information of the public.
The ruling BJD has fielded Barsha Singh Bariha, daughter of sitting BJD MLA Bijaya Ranjan Singh Bariha whose demise necessitated the by-poll for Padampur assembly seat while the BJP has fielded Pradip Purohit , a former MLA who had won the Assembly seat in 2014.The Congress has nominated senior party leader Satya Bhusan Sahu, also a former MLA of the constituency.
The bypoll is crucial for all the three major political parties keeping in view the 2024 general elections in the state
For the saffron party, Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Dharmendra Pradhan and Biseswar Tudu had extensively campaigned in the constituency.
Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik had a marathon meeting on December 2 last for his party candidate and addressed three election meetings at Jharbandh,Padampur and Paikmal.
A dozen ministers and over 50 BJD MLAs had actively participated in the electioneering to ensure that the party retained the Assembly seat.
No central leaders campaigned for the Congress candidate except AICC general secretary and Odisha in-charge A Chella Kumar
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Sarat Pattnaik , former OPCC presidents Niranjan Patnaik and Jayadev Jena besides several senior leaders campaigned for Sahu.
