Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab Sibin C on Tuesday said that all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and peaceful Lok Sabha bypoll in Jalandhar on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference here, the CEO said the election machinery is working round the clock to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections. He said there are as many as 16,21,759 voters including 8,44,904 male, 7,76,855 female, 10,286 persons with disability, 1850 service electors, 73 overseas electors and 41 transgender in the Lok Sabha constituency.
In all, 19 candidates are in fray including 15 male and four Female, he said, adding three of these are from national parties, one from the state party, seven from unrecognised parties and eight are Independent candidates. Five contesting candidates are with criminal antecedents.
Sibin C said that 1972 polling stations have been established and webcasting of all the polling stations is being done. He also informed that polling stations locations having more than three polling stations, which are in total 166 in Jalandhar parliamentary constituency, will have additional cameras installed outside the polling location.
He said that 542 vulnerable polling stations have been identified, 16 have been marked as critical and 30 expenditure sensitive pockets have been identified.
Divulging more information, CEO Punjab said that 4839 ballot units, 2927 Control Unit and 2973 VVPATs are being used in this election. He said there would be 45 model polling stations and nine (one per AC) women managed polling stations.
Sibin C said postal ballot facility was provided to 80 plus senior citizens, persons with disability and Covid patients to cast their vote from the convenience of their homes and 888 electors used their franchise through postal ballot.