All set to hold KCC polls tomorrow

All necessary preparations have been completed to hold the elections to Khulna City Corporation tomorrow (Tuesday).

"All necessary preparations have been completed to hold the election. Required numbers of law enforcement agencies, including police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been deployed to ensure security during the election," Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helaluddin Ahmad told BSS on Monday.

The election will be held from 8 am to 4 pm without break amid tight security and festivity, he added.

Alongside the independent observers, EC officials will also observe the election, he said.

Returning Officer (RO) of the KCC polls, Md Younus Ali said all stuffs, including ballot papers, seals and pads, have already been reached to polling stations.

According to RO office, a total of 191candidates, including five for mayoral post, 148 for councilor posts, 38 for reserved posts for women, are vying in the polls while 4 lakh 93 thousand 93 voters will exercise their voting rights in 1 thousand 178 polling stations across the city corporation area.

The mayor candidates are contesting in the polls with the partisan symbol for the first time in the election, the RO office sources said.

The mayor candidates are ruling Awami League nominated Talukder Abdul Khalek, BNP nominated Najrul Islam Manju, Jatiya Party nominated SM Shafiqur Rahman, Islami Andolan Bangladesh nominated Principal Maulana Mujammil Haque and Communist Party of Bangladesh nominated Mizanur Rahman Babu.

To ensure security during the election, a total of 16 platoons of BGB have been deployed in the city since Sunday while 9 thousand 500 policemen and APBN, 4 thousand Ansar and VDP members and 900 ancillary Ansar-VDP members will perform their duties during the elections.

Besides, 32 patrol teams of RAB comprising eight members in each team and four striking force teams comprising 10 members in each team also will perform duties in the election field. Ten motorcycle teams and 11 picket teams will also perform duties during the election time.

A total of 31 executive magistrates will maintain law and order and monitor whether candidates electoral rules and regulations during the elections.

Deputy Secretary of the EC Farhad Hossain said Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be used in two polling stations in the KCC elections.

Source: BSS

AH