First time: EVMs to be used in Kalahandi

The Pioneer, Sept 4, 2008
Pioneer News Service | Bhawanipatna

With the municipal elections coming closer, the candidates' fates will be decided by 72,283 voters who are going to exercise their franchise on September 19 through 82 electronic voting machines to be used for the first time in different booths of the Bhawanipatna Municipality and the Kesinga and Junagarh Notified Area Councils (NACs) in Kalahandi district.

Explaining the code of conduct at a Press conference here, Kalahandi Collector R Santhagopalan said that a councillor can only spend up to Rs 30,000 to campaign among a 50,000 population, up to Rs 40,000 in an area of 1 lakh population and Rs 50,000 to cover more than 1 lakh population. Each candidate can use two vehicles, including four-wheelers or three-wheeler during the campaigning.

A total of 82 candidates are contesting in 20 wards of the Bhawanipatna Municipality, 66 in 12 wards of the Junagarh NAC and 39 in 12 wards of the Kesinga NAC. The BJP and the BJD have entered into an alliance for the Bhawanipatna civic polls.