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Udupi : There are 405 micro polling booths in Udupi-Chikkamagalur constituency, out of which 203 are in Udupi and 202 are in Chikkamagalur. A CAPF team has been assigned to all these polling booths. Also web casting has been arranged for 1270 votes. District Election Officer said that all the activities here will be inspected in Delhi and Bangalore offices of the commission, District Returning Election Officer K. Vidyakumari said.

Speaking at the press conference, she said that we have made necessary preparations for the district-wide elections. Additional check posts have been opened at Nejaru, Haladi and Kundapur. CAPF for 1,270 polling booths, 1459 Micro observer in polling booths, video recording system in 18 polling booths, she said.

Polling tickets have been distributed to 97% of the houses. Although there is an option to get a polling ticket through a mobile phone, it is not allowed to carry a mobile phone inside the polling booth, so a polling ticket is required. 4120 officers/ staff including PRO, APRO, PO have been posted. Special security has also been provided for the mustering rooms. A. Open campaign will end at 6 pm on April 24th. As the ban is in force, she said that on 25th, no more than 5 people can gather in a group and do house to house campaigning.

Mustering procedures will start in the morning of 25th. After lunch, the voting officials will go to their polling booths with the voting machine. All vehicles are fitted with GPS. There will be 162 vehicles of sector officers along with 260 buses and general vehicles. There will be one additional voting machine. On the day after the election, the staff/officer will come to the mustering center along with all the voting machines in Udupi. She said that all the voting machines in Chikmagalur will come the next day.

So far Rs 94.67 lakh worth of liquor, Rs 1.10 lakh worth of drugs including T-shirt, pants, sap tool and Rs 3.68 lakh worth of items have been seized. Rs 14.92 lakh cash was seized at Hejmadi and Shiruru check-posts, she said.

As there are many people who come to neighborhood on the Election Day, many may not come because of the sudden increase in bus fare. Due to this, the turnout is also likely to decrease. Therefore, a letter has been written to the bus owners of the coastal long route (especially Bengaluru-Udupi) not to increase the fare for the benefit of the voters, said Returning Officer Dr. Vidyakumari.