Udupi : As many as 15,72,958 electors are eligible to exercise their franchise to choose the Lok Sabha Member for the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency elections for which will be held on April 26.

Giving details about the preparations for the smooth polling at Udupi on Saturday, March 16, Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer K. Vidyakumari said elaborate arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair elections. The model code of conduct came into force immediately after the Election Commission of India announced the poll dates this afternoon, she said.

A sufficient number of squads, checkposts, and other apparatus would be in place to keep tabs on financial and other transactions that might influence the electorate, the DC said. Those conducting any programmes or functions should obtain prior permission from the assistant returning officers concerned, she said.

Of the 15,72,958 voters, about 8.12 lakh were from the four Assembly segments in Udupi district — Kundapur, Udupi, Kaup, and Karkala and about 7.6 lakh were from four AC segments in Chikkamagaluru district — Sringeri, Moodigere, Chikkamagaluru and Tarikere. There were 536 voters aged above 100 years, Ms. Vidyakumari said adding voters above 85 years old may opt for voting from home. The administration still encourages senior citizens to visit their respective polling booth and exercise franchise.

In all, the commission would set up 1,842 polling booths across the LS constituency, including 222 in Kundapur, 226 in Udupi, 209 each in Kaup and Karkala, 256 in Sringeri, 231 in Moodigere, 261 in Chikkamagaluru and 228 in Tarikere Assembly constituencies.

While Udupi Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal was the district nodal officer for model code of conduct, people may lodge complaint about the code violation by calling 0820-2574802 or sending WhatsApp message to 9880831516, the DC said.

No sooner the code of conduct came into force, civic personnel were seen removing government publicity material displayed at various public places in the district on Saturday.