Bengaluru (PTI): As Karnataka gears for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 26, the Election Commission on Wednesday said all the polling stations in the Bangalore Rural and Mysore constituencies will be webcast. As of now, a total of 189 cases have been booked against political parties or candidates for major violations under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), they said.

Addressing a press conference, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said 1.4 lakh polling officials will be on duty at the 30,602 polling stations across the 14 constituencies which are going for polls in the first phase on Friday.

Besides them, 5,000 micro observers, 50,000 civil police personnel, 65 companies of Central Parliamentary Force and State Armed Police force of other states will also be deployed for security at these polling stations, he said.

"All the 2,829 polling stations of Bangalore Rural parliamentary constituency will be 100 percent webcast. This is as per the request of our returning officers and observers; so we have given more than double central parliamentary force for the Bangalore Rural Constituency. Seven companies of central paramilitary forces have been inducted at the constituency since April 22," he said.

The 14 segments facing polls in the first phase are: Udupi-Chikmagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkballapur and Kolar.

There are a total of 2,88,19,342 electors in these constituencies -- 1,44,28,099 male, 1,43,88,176 female and 3,067 third gender.

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Amethi (UP) (PTI): About a dozen vehicles parked outside the Congress office in the Gauriganj area here were allegedly damaged by some miscreants, the party said on Monday.

Congress district spokesperson Anil Singh accused the ruling BJP of orchestrating the incident that took place on Sunday night and claimed that some people sitting inside the cars had sustained injuries.

Six people came in a car and damaged the vehicles. Some people got injured and were sent to the district hospital for treatment. A complaint will be made to the Election Commission, Singh said.

This is the result of the BJP's desperation, he added.

Congress district president Pradeep Singhal alleged that the incident was the result of state police's indifference.

Meanwhile, Gauriganj Deputy Superintendent of Police Mayank Dwivedi said the matter will be investigated and strict action will be taken against the guilty.