KOCHI: Over 6,000 police personnel, including from the paramilitary force, have been deployed across Ernakulam district to ensure peaceful voting on Friday.
There are 185 sensitive booths, all of them in the Ernakulam rural police limits, which cover parts of Ernakulam, Kottayam, Chalakudy and Idukki Lok Sabha constituencies. Hence, a major chunk of the personnel – around 4,500 – will be posted in the rural limits and tasked with manning all 1,538 polling booths here as well as maintaining law and order. As many as 14 DySP-rank officers will supervise security arrangements in the rural police limits.
As many as 44 inspectors, 400 SIs and 2,200 civil police officers, along with 1,510 special police officers will also be deployed on poll duty in the rural limits. Forty-one Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have reached Aluva for security work. The police have also selected 102 officials from other departments to handle security during the elections.
Ernakulam Rural police chief Vaibhav Saxena has formed 102 group patrolling teams and 64 law and order patrolling units for security on voting day.
There are also Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) formed in each police station for swift intervention in case there is any violence. EVMs from Kochi and Ernakulam Rural will be moved to strongrooms in Cusat, where armed policemen will be deployed until June 4.
The Ernakulam City police limits has 756 polling booths, none of them sensitive. The Ernakulam and Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituencies fall under the city police limits.
A lone poll booth at Kurankotta Island has been classified as inaccessible, but police have made arrangements for voters’ transportation.
Over 1,500 police personnel, 45 QRTs, 45 group patrol teams, and 27 law and order patrolling teams will keep watch over the city limits on poll day.
Get, set, vote
2,294 - Total polling stations in district
Webcasting facility available in 1,735 booths
11,028 - Total officials deployed for polling duty
26,34,783 - Total number of voters in the district
Women: 13,52,692 (51.34 %)
Men: 12,82,060 (48.66 %)
Third Gender: 13
New voters: 38,637
Extra facilities at polling stations
Wheelchair facility for the physically disabled and other needy
Creches for children accompanying those who come to vote
Drinking water facility
Shaded area to provide shelter from sunlight
ID for casting votes
Voter ID card with a photo is the main document. However, those who cannot produce the same can also use the following documents
Aadhaar card
MGNREGA card
ID card with photo, provided by bank / post office
Driving licence
PAN card
Smart card provided by Registrar General of India under the NPR (National Population Registrar)
Indian passport
Pension document (with photo affixed)
Service identification cards are provided to employees of central/state/public
sector/ public limited companies
Official identification card being provided to MP/MLA/MLC
UDID card for people with disabilities