Voting arrangements for Covid patients too: BBMP Commissioner

BBMP has made arrangement for Covid patients and suspected Covid patients to vote in Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituency by-polls. They will be brought in ambulances between 5-6 pm so that they can cast their votes.

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Covid patients are to be allowed to vote in the bye-polls of Rajarajeshwari Nagara. "To safeguard everyone's right to vote we have made the arrangements for them with the special preference, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunatha Prasad said.

Addressing reporters here on Friday, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad, who is also the District Election Officer, said that between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on November 3, COVID-19 patients and those suspected to be infected by the coronavirus will be allowed to cast their vote in the 678 polling stations in Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituency. "We have already provided the masks, PPE Kit and sanitisers to the patients as a precautionary measure and those who wanted to cast vote," added the BBMP Commissioner.

Till Wednesday, 1,177 people in R.R. Nagar segment had tested positive for COVID-19. Of these, 317 were hospitalised, 18 were in COVID-19 care facilities, and 842 under home isolation. "We will collect data on all those who test positive till November 2," he said, adding that consenting voters would be picked up in ambulances and brought to the polling stations.

"The voters should follow the covid norms which are implemented by the BBMP. There will be three separate queues for men, women and physically challenged people. There will be a mark ahead of the booth and 678 thermal scanning machines. After the scanning is done, voters have to sanitize their hands and wear gloves. To verify the voter ID, you need to remove the mask and show you face. The ink will be painted onto the middle finger of the left hand. The signing of the register will be provided by the Election Commission, he added.