As per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI), polling in the state will be held from 8 am to 6 pm. Elections will also be held after covid appropriate behavior. Results for punjab assembly elections Will be announced on March 10 along with Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.
Assembly elections in Punjab were earlier to be held in a single phase on February 14. However, the ECI postponed the date to February 20 in view of the rising Covid-19 cases in the state.
Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Raju said state machinery Working round the clock to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections.
Responding to a question, Raju said that senior citizens, elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs) would be provided with the facility to move to and from the polling stations for voting.
He said that arrangements have been made in this regard in each assembly constituency.
“There could be battery-operated vehicles, auto rickshaws and minivans,” Raju said, adding that flowers would be given to the youth who cast their vote for the first time.
He urged voters to follow COVID-appropriate behavior at the polling stations and said that masks, gloves and sanitizers would be provided.
The CEO said that dustbins and colored bags will be kept for disposal of Covid-waste material.
He said that all the polling personnel would be provided with food and refreshments.
When asked whether the voter should carry the Covid vaccination certificate to the polling booth, Raju said, “There should be no confusion. Voting has nothing to do with vaccination.”
He said that a person having his voter card has the right to vote.
On the question of deployment of security personnel for the elections, the CEO said that 700 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed.
Apart from this, state police personnel will also be on duty.
Raju said that out of the total 1,304 candidates, 93 are women and two are transgender, while 461 are independent candidates.
He said that 28,328 ballot units and 24,740 EVMs-VVPATs are being used in this election.
There are six assembly constituencies – Kharar, Sahnewal, Ludhiana South, Payal, Patiala Rural and Patiala – with two ballot units, he said.
Raju said there are 24,740 polling stations in the state and 2,013 of them have been identified as critical, while 196 will be pink polling stations for women and 70 will be managed by the PWD.
He said that webcasting of all polling stations would be done.
He said that a total of 2.50 lakh people, including polling personnel, security personnel and others, have been deployed for the polling to be held on Sunday.
The budget size of the elections was judged 340 crore, Raju said.
Ever since the Model Code of Conduct came into force, various enforcement teams have seized liquor, unaccounted cash and narcotics. 500.70 crores.
In view of the elections, the ban on sale of liquor in Punjab had started from 6 pm on February 18. It will conclude after the polling is over on February 20.
Raju also said that the ban is also applicable to liquor shops within a radius of three kilometers from the Punjab border in the neighboring states of Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint.
download
Our App Now!!
,