He said, the elections have been scheduled on a Wednesday, and not on a Monday or Friday, to encourage greater participation of voters. “People can take a day off and have a long weekend. But by holding the poll on Wednesday, the possibility has been reduced,” he said, adding that the move is part of the EC’s effort to ensure greater participation and curb voters’ apathy in going to the polling stations. The ruling BJP and the Congress have already launched spirited campaigns for the elections.

The Model Code of Conduct kicked in on Wednesday with the announcement of the election. But strict vigil was ensured even earlier on the Commission’s directions during review meetings with enforcement agencies, he said, adding that more than Rs 80 crore has been seized so far. Seeking to ensure inclusion and participation in the assembly polls, 100 per cent enrolment of eligible ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups’ (PVTGs) in Karnataka is being ensured, the CEC said. Forty ‘Ethnic polling stations’ will be set up for PVTGs. Special emphasis is being laid on the participation of the third gender in the election process, he said. For the Assembly elections, 58,282 polling stations will be set up in the State. The average voter per polling station is pegged at 883. Fifty per cent of the polling stations have webcasting facility. A total of 1,320 polling stations will be managed by women officials. Among the over 5,24 crore voters, over 5.60 lakh have been identified as persons with disability, the poll panel said.