The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Officials work flat out to be ready by poll date

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Officials work flat out to be ready by poll date

T.S. Ranganna

Mapping of Assembly segments in four districts complete

Mapping in Udupi district to start today
Work in all districts to be completed by March 10

Bangalore: Deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners of the Revenue Department who would act as district election officers and returning officers respectively when elections to the Legislative Assembly are announced, and thousands of employees of the State government, deputed to the Election Commission, have been working round the clock on being alerted about the announcement on the holding of elections by May 28

According to senior officers overseeing the arrangements in the districts for mapping the Assembly constituencies according to the delimitation commissions report, mapping has been completed in Haveri, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts. Work with regard to Udupi district would be taken up on Saturday.

Deputy commissioners of these districts are reporting the progress of the work to officials at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

The mapping of the constituencies in the remaining 25 districts would be completed by March 10. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswami is likely to announce the election dates during his three-day visit to the State commencing from March 4.

Asked about the objection by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman V.S. Ugrappa to holding the elections by May 28 without reallocating the polling booths for every 1,500 voters, the sources said that it was not urgent.

The reallocation was the prerogative of the deputy commissioner concerned and once the CEC announced the election, the district election officer would take up the work.

“Only a miracle can result in postponement of elections beyond May,” the sources told The Hindu and added that all the obstacles in the way of holding free and fair elections had been removed.

Mr. Gopalaswami, the sources, said would hold meetings with top officials and with political parties.

He was likely to visit Mandya Deputy Commissioner’s office to see for himself the work with regard to mapping.

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