Karnal dist records increase of 5,965 voters in 3 months

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, August 17

Karnal district has witnessed an increase in its voter count, with 5,965 new voters added to the list over the past three months. During the Lok Sabha elections till May 6, 2024, the district had a total of 1,199,531 registered voters. As on August 17, just before the upcoming Assembly elections, the number has increased to 1,205,496.

DC holds meeting with returning officers

• DC Uttam Singh on Saturday evening held a meeting with returning officers (R0) of different Assembly segments. He instructed them to thoroughly read the rulebook of the Election Commission of India.
• Singh emphasised that all ROs should ensure the compliance of the model code of conduct. He said if there were any violations of the code, immediate notice should be issued.
• They were directed to hold meetings with political parties and banks soon. He also advised the ROs to designate nomination rooms in their segments.
• He instructed the returning officers to ensure timely submission of reports to the Election Commission. The reports required within 24, 48 and 72 hours must be sent on time.

Out of the total number of voters, there are 626,665 men, 575,727 women, 27 identify as third gender, and 3,077 as service voters. In comparison, during the Lok Sabha elections in May, there were 6,23,842 men voters, 5,72,580 women voters, 24 third gender voters, and 3,085 service voters, said Uttam Singh, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer.

Karnal district comprises five Assembly segments: Karnal, Nilokheri, Indri, Assandh, and Gharaunda. As on August 17, Nilokheri has 2,34,017 voters, slightly down from 234,067 in the Lok Sabha elections. Indri has seen an increase to 2,18,812 voters, up from 2,18,180. Karnal’s voter count has risen to 2,66,098 from 2,62,821. Gharaunda now has 2,40,991 voters, compared to 2,39,725 during the Lok Sabha elections. Assandh has also seen an increase with 2,42,501 voters, up from 241,653, said the DC.The district administration has added 34 new polling booths, bringing the total to 1,181 for the Assembly elections, which include 426 rural and 111 urban booths, up from 1,151 during the Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, the gender ratio has improved from 917 to 919 before the Assembly elections. The percentage of young voters has also seen an increase, rising to 2.23 per cent from 2.06 per cent during the Lok Sabha elections.“Our preparations for the Assembly elections are in full swing. We will ensure fair and transparent elections, while all ongoing development works will not be affected,” said Singh. Singh said their focus was on the guidelines set by the Election Commission. “We will ensure compliance of the model code of conduct and will hold meetings with the political parties,” he added.

Singh emphasised the importance of timely submission of all required reports to the Election Commission and the prompt removal of deceased voters from the voter list. Special emphasis had been laid on ensuring that the EVM warehouses were opened with proper notice to political parties and candidates, with the process being recorded on video, he added.

The DC also stressed on the need for efficient completion of training for officials and staff assigned various election duties,” he added.