Rajasthan: All preparations for Anta Assembly bypoll completed

Jaipur, Nov 10 (PTI) With polling for the Anta Assembly by-election scheduled for Tuesday, polling parties set out from Baran district headquarters on Monday after completing their final round of training.

Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm across 268 polling stations, under tight security arrangements.

Chief Electoral Officer Naveen Mahajan said a total of 2,28,264 voters — 1,16,783 men, 1,11,477 women, and four others — are eligible to vote in the bypoll.

According to the CEO, each polling team has been provided with EVMs, VVPATs and election material bags, and over 3,000 police personnel have been deployed, along with 12 Quick Response Teams, 43 mobile parties, 43 sector magistrates, 12 supervisory police officers and 12 area magistrates.

Further, five green polling stations have been set up to promote environmental awareness, and all booths will remain free from single-use plastic. Facilities such as ramps, drinking water, shade and mobile deposit bags have been arranged for voters.

Special polling booths will be operated entirely by women and differently-abled officials, while youth-managed and model polling stations have also been set up in Anta and Mangrol areas, according to CEO.

A total of 1,240 personnel have been deployed across 268 regular and 29 reserve teams, supported by 41 micro-observers and 52 videography observers. Separate queues will be arranged for male and female voters, with Anganwadi and ASHA workers assisting women voters.

Voters can cast their ballot using the EPIC card or any of 12 alternative photo identity documents, including Aadhaar, passport, driving licence, PAN card, MGNREGA job card.

The district administration has declared November 11 a public holiday to facilitate voting, and directed all industrial and commercial establishments to grant paid leave to employees.

As per Election Commission guidelines, a 'dry day' is in force 48 hours before polling, prohibiting the sale or transport of liquor.

Polling teams will return to the district headquarters by late Tuesday evening to deposit EVMs and materials at the collection counters set up at the Government PG College, Baran, where separate counters and transport facilities have been arranged for women and differently-abled staff.

The counting of votes will take place on November 14 at the seminar hall of the same college under strict security and CCTV surveillance, officials said.

The bypolls were necessitated after BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena was found guilty in a 20-year-old criminal case and was convicted. PTI AG AMJ AMJ