Stage set for Chamundeshwari by-poll tomorrow

Mysore, Dec 3 (UNI) The stage is set for tomorrow's by-poll for the Chamundeshwari assembly segment which has turned highly prestigious in view with the unusually high pitch of campaign and high stakes waged by the ruling JD(S)-BJP combine and the Congress party.

The fight had become very intense during the 12-day high decibel campaign that ended yesterday. It could be anybody's race between the top two contenders. The counting takes places on December seven.

The by-poll was necessitated by resignation of former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who quit as JD(S) member and was now contesting as the Congress' official nominee. Shivabasappa was the common candidate of the coalition partners.

Chamundeshwari, comprising parts of Mysore city and 250-odd villages in T Narasipura taluk, is the second largest assembly segment in the state behind Uttarahalli with 3,68,599 voters, of whom 1,79,317 are women. The segment turned into a political battleground and winning the constituency was now on the top agenda for the two main rivals.

Through a two-way fight, the arena is left with 14 candidates who include those from Janata Dal(U) and Samajwadi Party.

For the first time Election Commission, which had intervened many a times to cool the tempers and keep the warring groups of political parties from crossing the line, ordered all political leaders who took part in the campaign to leave the constituency after the campaign ended last evening. It asked the police to ensure that all leaders vacated the segment as well as the city.

Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer S Selva Kumar said most of the leaders had left the city. State Chief Election Commissioner Ramasheshan along with Election Commission Chief Observer J Raymond Peter, expenses observer Pramod Kumar and additional election observer Anand Singh are camping in constituency.

Elaborate security measures had been made for the smooth conduct of polls, with over 6000 security personnel including paramilitary forces and various companies of the state police deployed in all parts of the segment.

The intensity of the fight could be gauged by the fact that only eight among the 346 polling booths in the segment had been classified as normal. Among the 193 polling booths in the urban segment of which 153 were declared hyper sensitive and 40 as sensitive.

In rural segment out of 153 booths, 79 were declared as hyper sensitive and 56 as sensitive.

Mr Kumar said to ensure strict adherence of code of conduct, four special magistrates had been appointed in the segment while Rapid Action Force personnel would at hand to inquire into the complaints.

1384 trained staff would be conducting the elections. Sale of liquor had been banned in the district and adjoining Srirangapatna in Mandya district until December five.

Police Commissioner Praveen Sood and Superintendent of Police S Murugan said the situation was well under control and no untoward incidents were reported from any parts.

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