E-Paper
Urban Bodies Polls-2023: Ground set for polling at 1,180 booths in municipal limits
Polling for Urban Bodies Elections-2023 in Prayagraj, India takes place today. Voters will elect corporators for 100 wards of the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation and the new mayor of Sangam city, as well as chairman and members of the district?s eight Nagar Panchayats. There are 21 mayoral candidates, 909 candidates for corporators, and 516 candidates for Nagar Panchayat members. Tight security measures have been put in place with 5,800 personnel and 62 quick reaction teams on alert. There are also route diversions in place due to the transportation of EVMs.
The ground is all set for the polling of Urban Bodies Elections-2023 set to take place in Prayagraj on Thursday. Eligible voters will exercise their right to franchise to elect corporators for 100 wards of the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation and the new mayor of Sangam city, besides chairman and members of the district’s eight Nagar Panchayats during the day.
“All arrangements have been made for the conduct of smooth polling at 1,180 polling booths within municipal limits and another 127 in Nagar Panchayat areas. In all, 1,180 polling parties for municipal limits and 127 for Nagar Panchayat areas have been sent to the polling booths on the eve of the voting day,” said district election officer Sanjay Kumar Khatri.
While voting for electing corporators and the mayor would be held through EVMs, the polling for electing Nagar Panchayat chairman and members would take place through ballot papers, officials said.
In all, 6,428 polling staff have been deputed to ensure smooth voting that will be held from 7am to 6pm, he added.
Polling parties for the booths located within the municipal limits were sent off from the KP College ground while those of the Nagar panchayats were sent from respective tehsil headquarters. For the eight Nagar Panchayats, eight returning officers and three assistant returning officers each have been deputed.
The total number of voters eligible to vote within municipal limits are 15,70,771 this time, and another 1,46,447 voters are eligible to cast their vote in the Nagar panchayats.
This time, there are 21 candidates in the fray for the post of Prayagraj mayor, nine of political parties and the rest independents. Candidates of some major political parties include Ajay Srivastava of Samajwadi Party (SP), Umesh Chandra Ganesh Kesarwani of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Saeed Ahmed of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Mohd Qadeer of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Prabha Shankar Mishra of Congress.
Likewise, 909 candidates are in the race for the post of corporators of 100 wards of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation including 407 of political parties and 502 independents along with 64 candidates (27 of political parties and 37 independents) in the race vying for the post of president of the eight Nagar Panchayats and 516 for the post of members (155 of political parties and 361 independents) in these Nagar Panchayats.
Sensitive booths
Of 1,180 booths set up within the municipal limits, 34 have been declared as ‘highly sensitive plus’ booths that include 25 booths in the municipal limits while the rest are in Nagar panchayat areas. Besides, there are also 98 ‘highly sensitive’ (86 located in municipal limits) and 126 ‘sensitive booths’ (103 located in municipal limits) this time around
Strongrooms set up
The strongroom for storing EVMs used in Prayagraj Municipal Corporation polls has been set up at Mundera Mandi, while the strongrooms of Nagar Panchayat Sirsa and Lalgopal Ganj have been set up Mewalal Ayodhya Prasad Inter College in Soraon. Similarly, that of Phulpur Nagar Panchayat has been set up in Mandi Samiti of Phulpur, that of Handia at National Inter College, Handia, that of Nagar Panchayat Sirsa and Bharatganj at multi-purpose hall of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Meja Khas. Similarly, Koraon’s strongroom has been set up in Gopal Vidyalaya Inter College in Koraon and Nagar Panchayat Shankargarh’s strongroom has been set up in room number seven of the Court of Naib Tehsildar in Bara.
Tight security put in place
The responsibility of ensuring security during the Civic-polls-2023 in Prayagraj district would be on the shoulders of 5,800 personnel.
These include 3,800 security personnel to be deployed for the polling process at the booths including 302 sub inspectors, 1,760 circle inspectors and jawans as well as 2,700 home guards. Apart from these, three companies of PAC personnel will also be deployed. Apart from this, 2,000 police personnel will be deployed to maintain peace including seven DCPs, 14 Additional DCPs, 60 Inspectors, 380 SIs, 1,266 Circle inspectors and jawans besides two companies of PACs. Besides, a company of BSF will also remain deployed to ensure peace. A total of 62 quick reaction teams each comprising a sub inspector and four constables backed by a company of PAC personnel will also remain on alert to respond to any trouble spot, informed officials.
Traffic diversions
District traffic police officials have announced route diversions in view of EVMs that would be deposited at Mundera mandi strongroom after the polling in Dhumanganj area on Thursday. Entry of heavy and commercial vehicles would be restricted in the city limits from 4pm to 11pm when the EVMs would be deposited. Vehicles including city and private buses moving from city side to Puramufti will be diverted through Mahilagram, Jhalwa and Mandar Mode. Similarly, small vehicles and buses coming from Puramufti to city areas would also have to use the same route.
The plying of two and four wheelers would be restricted between Mahilagram and Mundera Mandi between 3pm and 11pm. Besides, roadways buses plying between Kanpur and Prayagraj would also go through Nawabganj bypass route via Teliyarganj and Phaphamau between 3pm and 11pm.
Similarly, roadways buses arriving at Prayagraj from Fatehpur, Kaushambi and Kanpur would have to go through Nawabganj bypass and Kokhraj bypass route to reach Civil Lines.
