The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Collector meets candidates' representatives

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 29, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Collector meets candidates' representatives

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, APRIL 28. Officials today held a meeting with representatives of candidates of the Coimbatore and Pollachi (Reserved) constituencies seeking their co-operation in the smooth conduct of polls.

The District Collector and the Returning Officer for the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency, N. Muruganandam, the District Revenue Officer and the Returning Officer for the Pollachi (Reserved) Lok Sabha constituency, M. Rahim, along with observers Satyajith Singh (Coimbatore) and Rajeshwar Singh and Manojkumar Srivastava (Pollachi) took part in the meeting.

The returning officers advised the representatives to fill in the required application forms and collect identity cards. Every candidate would be allowed to use six plus one vehicle for going around polling stations (one vehicle per Assembly segment besides one vehicle exclusively for the candidate). The details of such vehicles would have to be intimated well in advance and permission obtained. Booth slips for voters would have to be issued only at a distance of 200 meters from the polling stations and there should not be any poll graffiti or campaign materials within 100 meters from the polling station. Use of cellphones would not be permitted at the polling station and at counting centres, the Collector added.

Bandobust

Communally and politically sensitive pockets have been identified in both Coimbatore and Pollachi constituencies besides the three Assembly segments in Coimbatore district coming under the Nilgiris Parliamentary constituency. Going by incidents during the last elections, areas coming under the Coimbatore West sub-division especially under the Ukkadam, Variety Hall Road and Big Bazaar police limits have been identified as communally sensitive in Coimbatore city, the City Police Commissioner, Sanjay Arora, said.

Select pockets in Kattoor police limits, Rathnapuri and Sanganur, have been identified as sensitive. Close to 140 booths in Coimbatore city and more than 150 booths in the Coimbatore Rural district have been identified as sensitive.

While Palladam has been identified as sensitive to caste clashes, Tirupur, Aatuppalam and Podanur areas are politically and communally sensitive. In Tirupur and South police limits, Kongu Main Road, Doomlight and Kadarpet come under the sensitive areas.

In addition to the already available Central Reserve Police personnel, the Election Commission would depute a few companies of paramilitary forces in these pockets. The reinforcements were likely to reach Coimbatore by May 6 and would be deployed latest by May 7 evening, sources said.

Nearly a dozen polling stations along the Western Ghats in Pilloor, Sirumugai areas coming under the Mettuppalayam Assembly segment have been identified as vulnerable to the movement of forest brigand Veerappan. In addition to the regular bandobust, these areas would get additional security from the Special Task Force, sources added.

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