BENGALURU: The Election Commission has intensified the surveillance to check flow of liquor or money or things to induce voters in the state. Even the neighbouring states have declared dry days within 5 km from the Karnataka border from 5 pm on Thursday to Saturday midnight. The EC has established check posts in 16 border districts with the support of neighbouring states. In the state, as many as 1,540 Flying Squads and 2,131 Static Surveillance Teams are working round-the-clock. Briefing the media, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar a total of 585 companies, comprising 40,000 central forces, have been deployed.
He said political functionaries should leave the constituencies, except one national-level functionary who should provide the details of his/her stay and movement to the EC. Additional Chief Electoral Officer-1 Dr K G Jagadeesh said that total 330 inter-state check posts and 77 check posts have been set up in other states.
Section 144 of IPC has been clamped in all districts.
Sanjiv Kumar said that the percentage of young voters (18 to 19 years) is doubled in the present polls when compared to 2013. The Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said that there are 15.72 lakh young voters now as against 7.22 lakh which is very less in 2013 elections. Sanjiv Kumar said that total `80.91 crore in cash was seized, besides 5,25,118 litres of liquor worth ` 24.35 crore, material, including gold, silver worth `65.21 crore.