Mobile platform to give hourly poll updates

This time, the State Election Commis sion will get hour ly updates on poll progress in each of the 6,759 booths set up for Saturday's BBMP election, thanks to a new mobile platform launched by the civic body . The platform, linking the BBMP's central server and cellphones of polling officers, will keep track on political parties and their activities and get faster updates on voting at regular intervals. BBMP commissioner G Kumar Naik said the central server will receive messages from mobile phone numbers of officers on duty at various booths. "Codes have been given to specific activities. For example, when the officers' team arrives at the centre, a communication will be sent to the server. Similarly, there will be codes for beginning of the actual polling and hourly polling percentage updates," Naik said. As of now, only officials concerned will receive the information. Authorities are yet to decide if it can be made public. "One objective is to get faster and regular updates. This platform can be used to monitor polling centres. Security personnel and polling officers who are patrolling can be rushed if there is anything abnormal in the data coming from booths," he added. Talking about election malpractices, state election commissioner PN Srinivasachari said all poll expenses are being monitored. "We have received one complaint against the CM announcing a housing related issue during his speech. This is yet to be perused," he added. Schoolkids to push up turnout The BBMP will rope in schoolchildren to create awareness and increase the polling percentage from the previous election's 44%. "We are distributing pamphlets among schoolchildren. Some will have provisions for entries of family members of the child. Children will be encouraged to take it home and bring it back with a tick mark against individual family members who have cast their vote," said Naik. -TOI