As the election fever reaches its peak, the Election Commission has finalised all arrangements for the upcoming polls across 126 assembly constituencies. With campaigning wrapping up, the focus now shifts to the ground where technology and security take centre stage.
The stage is set for over 2.5 crore voters to decide the fate of 722 candidates on April 9th. To ensure a transparent process, Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel has announced that all 31,490 polling stations will be under live webcasting surveillance. Beyond security, the Commission has prioritised voter comfort, introducing mobile phone storage, rest areas, and ramps at every centre.
A significant milestone has already been reached, with over 34,000 elderly and specially-abled citizens exercising their franchise from home via postal ballots. With 1.5 lakh polling personnel and over 43,000 VVPAT machines deployed, the administration is leaving no stone unturned for a smooth election.
Elaborate arrangements have been set in motion to ensure the smooth and secure conduct of polling in Puducherry tomorrow. The process of opening strong rooms storing electronic voting machines began this morning under tight security, and the dispatch of machines to polling stations across all constituencies is now underway.
The strong rooms at Women’s Engineering College, Motilal Nehru Government Polytechnic College, and Tagore Government Arts and Science College were opened around 8 AM today under tight security. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs are being dispatched to polling stations, with priority given to remote and far-flung areas.
Reserve EVMs have been kept ready under the custody of Returning Officers and are securely stored at designated locations, including Bahour and Nettapakkam. Tomorrow, reserve machines will be handed over to sector officers to address any technical issues. After polling, all used EVMs will be brought back and stored constituency-wise in the same strong rooms under strict security. Unused and defective reserve EVMs will be stored separately at secure locations in Puducherry, Mahe, and Yanam.
In Puducherry district alone, a total of 4,116 polling personnel have been deployed for election duty. Security arrangements include over 3,000 police personnel, 45 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, and a special unit from the Karnataka Police. Additionally, 155 micro-observers have been appointed across 137 sensitive polling stations to ensure close monitoring.
