The Election Commission (EC), in a bid to ensure free and fair polls in Raipur lok Sabha (lS) seat , which is going to polls on Thursday, the third and last phase of polling in the State, has deputed over 11,000 polling personnel.
More than 19 lakh voters will exercise their franchise at 2,204 polling booths from 7 am till 6 pm. A total of 127 Sector officials appointed by the EC will monitor polling in the seat. According to District Collector Thakur Ram Singh who is also the Returning Officer a total of 216 Micro-observers have also been deployed to keep a watch on polling activity. A live webcast would be carried out in 20 polling booths considered extra sensitive in the constituency.
The polling officials have been instructed to report the progress of polling and other activities to the Main Control Room by sending SMSes. The EC has also banned use of cell phones in polling booths. The facility of NOTA has also been installed in the last option of the ballot unit of the Electronic Voting Machines.
The District Collector and Returning Officer Thakur Ram Singh urged the voters to exercise their franchise fearlessly that the administration has made every possible arrangement for conducting free and fair polls. He also urged the voters to carry along their voter’s photo identity card ,when they will go for voting. Those who do not have voter’s identity card will have to produce any document among 11 declared ID proofs by the EC.