Hyderabad: Chief electoral officer Vikas Raj has announced a ban on all bulk SMS and exit polls till 6:30 pm on June 1, when all phases of the general elections will have concluded.
Addressing media at BRK Bhavan on Saturday, he made it clear that non-locals will not be permitted to reside in the Lok Sabha segments after the conclusion of the election campaign on Saturday till the polling ends on May 13.
He also warned companies that action would be initiated against them if they failed to give paid leave to their employees on the polling day.
Also informing that political advertisements are not permitted in electronic and web media houses on May 12 and 13, he said that ads could be published in the newspapers only with prior permission from the election commission.
He said that polling would begin on May 13 at 7 am, and will end at 6 pm in 3,509 polling booths across the state.
In addition to 164 contingents of central forces, there will be a total of 73,414 civil police personnel, 500 Telangana special police contingents and around 90,000 officials will be deployed on the polling day.
He said that more than 87,000 ballot units are being used and that 20,000 units have been made available in spare.
He said that Rs 320 crore has been seized since the model code of conduct came into effect and that more than 200 cases related to transportation of drugs have been registered.
Informing that citizens could use the C-Vigil app and the 1950 toll-free number to lodge their complaints, he said that action on the complaints would be taken within 100 hours.
He said that 1.88 lakh government employees were availing postal ballots, and 21,690 people had applied for home voting.
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