Gandhinagar: Polling for by-elections of 8 assembly seats namely Abdasa, Limbdi, Morbi, Dhari, Gadhda(SC), Karjan, Dang(ST) and Kaprada(ST) will take place on Tuesday, 3rd November during 7 am to 6 pm. Counting will take place on November 10. These seats cover as many as 18.75 lakh voters, 1,807 polling stations, 3,024 polling booths and 81 candidates. Each polling station will involve 1,000 voters this time, instead of standard number of 1500, in view of COVID19 pandemic.

419 micro observers and 324 sector officers have been appointed to supervise the by-elections. Live webcasting will be available from 900 polling stations.

Additional Director level health officials have been appointed as nodal officers in respective districts. 34,00 thermal guns, 41,000 N95 masks, 82,000 disposable masks, 41,000 face shields, 41,000 rubber hand gloves, 21 lakh polyethylene hand gloves (one each for a voter) are to be handed over to election officials.

As many as 3 lakh masks will be available with polling staff, to offer to those who are visiting polling station without mask. 8,000 PPE kits have been also made available to offer them to COVID suspected voters and polling party. Polling stations will be sanitized a day before polling. Each polling station will have sanitizer, soap and water, in addition to Covid help desks. Mobile medical teams will be on standby mode during polling and counting.

Rs. 1 crore liquor and Rs. 25 lakh cash was seized during the season of campaign. 16 candidates were given notices during first inspection while 3 were given notices at the end of second inspection over poll expenses. 4 FIRs have been filed over violation of COVID19 related guidelines. Rs. 30,000 fine has been collected over violations of mask rules. 353 of 358 complaint received on cVIGIL portal have been cleared. 9 complaints regarding by-polls have also been cleared.

These details were shared by Dr. S. Murli Krishna, Chief Election Officer, Gujarat. DeshGujarat