As the voting day draws near for Mumbaikars, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Akbar Pathan, issued a notification on Wednesday listing down the guidelines for voters. These include prohibition on carrying mobile phones or other electronic devices to polling booths. Mumbai and its surrounding regions will go to polls on May 20 – fifth of the seven phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The city has six constituencies – South Mumbai; South Central Mumbai; North Central Mumbai; North East Mumbai; North West Mumbai; and North Mumbai. By issuing the guidelines, the Mumbai police aims to prevent obstruction, annoyance, and ensure public tranquility during the polling process across the constituencies.
What are the guidelines?
Following are the things voters should keep in mind on the polling day:
1. No person who is not directly involved in the election duties shall be allowed within a 100-metre radius of any polling station between 6 am and 12 am on the election day. They will not be allowed to loiter or join or form any assembly or group on highway road, street lane, bye-lane or any other public place within the prescribed radius of polling stations across Mumbai.
2. There will be separate queues for men and women outside polling stations. Voters will be admitted serially based on their position in the queue under the supervision of the Presiding Officer.
3. Voters will not be allowed to carry or use mobile phones, wireless sets, and other electronic devices within the 100-metre perimeter of polling stations, except for authorised election and police officials.
4. The guidelines also prohibit the placement of election campaign materials such as posters or banners within 100 metres of polling booths.
5. The use of loudspeakers or megaphones in this vicinity is also banned to maintain the sanctity of the voting process and prevent undue influence on voters.
The fifth phase of the elections in Maharashtra will witness urban voters going to the polls. The counting of the votes for all 543 constituencies across India will be on June 4 and the results will be declared on the same day.
