Runners to be deployed in 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well

AURANGABAD : There are 18 polling stations in the eight parliamentary constituencies of

Marathwada

that fall in the “internet shadow” area – of these, eight also cannot be reached over mobile phone. To tide over this problem, the administration in

Jalna district

has decided to appoint “runners” – these men will run to the nearest location where internet connectivity is available and relay data to election authorities at the district headquarters at regular intervals.


A preliminary test run showed runners would have to cover a couple of kilometres before reaching an area with mobile network and internet connectivity.

Senior election authorities confirmed that Jalna is the only parliamentary constituency in Marathwada region where the traditional method of appointing runners will be used during general elections 2019.

Earlier, in Marathwada there were 164 polling stations without mobile link and 190 polling stations in the internet shadow area, but with the election commission leaving no stone unturned for its “accessible elections”, this number has been greatly reduced this time. As of now, Jalna and

Latur

have two each polling stations without mobile link. Beed has four polling stations that have no mobile phone link.

Jalna has two polling stations in the internet shadow area, Parbhani five, Latur two, Beed four and Nanded five. For bringing down these numbers, a series of meetings are being held by election authorities with the state-owned telecom company, apart from private service providers.

At the four polling stations of Beed identified in shadow zone with no mobile range connectivity as well as internet connection, authorities are taking help of police, who will provide wireless sets for flawless communication. Even in Nanded’s internet shadow zones, election authorities would be getting wireless facility from the police.

Including the auxiliary ones, there are 16,208 polling stations spread in these eight parliamentary constituencies. Considering that temperature will be very high as elections are scheduled for the peak of summer, authorities have made it mandatory to have sheds for protection from the sun at all polling stations.