In Tamil Nadu, last minute poll preparations are in full swing for the single phase Assembly polls on Tuesday. The entire official machinery is fully geared up to meet any requirement on the date of poll.Four and a half crore voters in the state would would exercise thier franchise to elect the 14th assembly. The election commission has issued strict orders to the media and the political parties to strictly adhere to the model code of conduct.AIR correspondent reports, the fate of 2612 men and 136 women candidates will be decided on Wednesday.The exercise of elections displays that power of democracy lies with the people. Voters always give the verdict that puts the politicians in place.During the last assembly elections, more than seventy percent of the voters had taken part in election and this time as the awareness on the importance of voting has been carried out throughout the state, more voters are expected to take part in giving their judgment. Protection of democracy is with the voters as also with the election commission to conduct elections in a free and transparent manner.In Kerala, single phase assembly poll will take place on Wednesday. 140 constituencies in fourteen districts will go to the polls, the campaigning had ended on Tuesday. More than 2 crore 31 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.Distribution of polling materials and setting up booths are progressing. AIR correspondent reports, tight security is in place across the state to ensure free and fair polls.After days of aggressive political campaigning a day of quietness is being witnessed in Kerala. However, for one lakh twenty five thousand polling officials and thousands of men in uniform it is time for abundant precaution. Of course they take pride in ensuring that a vibrant democratic exercise gets completed peacefully.Unlike in other states female voters outnumber male voter's in Kerala. 78 women candidates are fighting the election. Close to 4000 booths have been identified as sensitive.This figure may go up or come down based on fresh intelligence inputs. Malappuram has maximum number of sensitive booths and Kottayam the least. Micro observers or videopgraphers are to be deployed in sensitive booths.In Kerala, voters will have to produce photo identity card or photographed voter's slip issued by the election commission to cast vote.The Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer, Belateen Pertin, has appealed to the voters to ensure 100% polling in the Union Territory in tomorrow's Assembly Polls.He said as adequate security arrangements have been made in all 851 polling booths, the voters can exercise their franchise without fear.As the Union Territory has achieved cent per cent coverage under EPIC, no other document except the EPIC or Booth Slip issued by the Election Department will be considered.In Puducherry over 8 lakh 10 thousand voters will exercise their franchise tomorrow to elect a 30 member legislative assembly. Since the Election Department is strictly implementing model code of conduct, offences for violations were only a few.The 23 flying squads set up by the Department to check Cash for vote so far seized more than 3 lakh rupees and arrested 18 offenders. To ensure smooth polling, all the polling booths have been connected through web casting.10 companies of CRPF along with local police will be deployed in all polling booths to ensure peaceful polling. Additional forces are being deployed in all 152 identified sensitive booths.Special arrangements have also been made for physically challenged and senior citizens. Meanwhile, BJP today said, it will not enter into any post-poll alliance for government formation in Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Senior Party Leader Sushma Swaraj claimed that BJP will do well in the assembly elections scheduled for tomorrow in these three states. She, however added that her party will sit in the opposition as there are serious ideological differences with parties contesting the polls. In reply to a question Mrs. Swaraj said, Election Commission has taken effective measures to curb electoral malpractices.
News On AIR | April 12, 2011 5:11 PM
Assembly elections in TN, Kerala, Puducherry to take place tomorrow