Conditions favourable for peaceful Piravom poll

KOCHI: The district administration officials have begun efforts to ensure   a trouble-free election at Piravom. District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth has  said that strict security measures would be taken to avoid any untoward  incidents. In view of the bypoll, a heavy police force will be deployed across the constituency prior to the voting and it will continue till the counting is over, said the officials. In addition to the state police force, the   assistance of the Central Reserve Police Force will also be sought.  To review the security situation at Piravom, a high-level meeting was held   in the presence of Umakanath Panwar, General Observer from the Central  Election Commission for the Piravom polls, at the Collector’s Chamber on  Friday. At the meet, Rural SP K P Philip presented a detailed report on the security situation of the constituency. Assistant Collector Bhandari Swagath Ranveerchand, Election Deputy Collector S Shanawas and Returning Officer E R Sobhana also attended the meeting.For ensuring security, special squads have been formed by the police. The security arrangements will be handled by three DySPs. The team of officials consist of 127 circle-inspectors, 158 sub-inspectors and 934 civil police officers from the State Police force. With scrutiny of the nominations ending on Thursday, candidates for the Piravom bypoll are all geared up for the final battle.Six Papers RejectedOn Thursday, the Election Commission rejected the nomination papers of six candidates. The final list will be out only on Saturday, the  day of withdrawing the nominations. Anoop Jacob (KC-J), M J Jacob (CPM), Rajagopalan Nair (BJP), Suresh N T (All-India Forward Bloc), Annie Jacob (KC-J), Salim (Socialist Republican Party), Bindu Haridas (Kerala Janapaksham) and Independent candidates Krishnankutty, Arundhathi and Varghese Cherian are those left in the fray. While both the UDF and LDF set for a hard battle, the BJP aims to gain some more votes. UDF’s Anoop Jacob and LDF’s M J Jacob have almost completed the initial phase of campaign.