Webcasting In 50% Booths For Dhamnagar Bypoll In Odisha: CEO

Bhubaneswar: Elaborate arrangements have been made for live webcasting in 50 per cent of the polling booths for by-election in Dhamnagar Assembly segment, Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sushil Kumar Lohani said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, Lohani said the webcasting will be done in 50 per cent of booths on the polling day on November 3, while 26 micro-observers are being deployed in the identified booths.

Around 1108 polling personnel will be deployed for the bye-election. In order to ensure impartiality, polling personnel will not be natives or voters of the constituency. Those posted as a government servant in Dhamnagar are also not being put on poll duty, he said, adding the same rule applies to police personnel.

As many as four companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), including two from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and two from the Border Security Force (BSF), are to be deployed for the bye-election. Besides, 10 platoons of Odisha Police will be deployed.

As many as 106 booths have been identified as sensitive and adequate precautions and security measures have been taken to ensure peaceful voting, Lohani said, adding enforcement activities relating to law and order have been intensified and 641 licensed arms have been deposited in police stations so far.

Two central observers, Niranjan Kumar and Pranesh Gupta have been appointed for the bypoll and their mobile numbers are – 7854826509 and 8260745626 respectively. Anyone can speak to them to lodge complaints, the CEO said

Postal ballots of 496 voters have been collected and electoral roll has been finalised, printed, and distributed. Over 2.38 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for the by-election, he added.