Jan 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka government is ready to provide security if needed for the candidates for polls in Batticaloa district, Deputy Inspector General of Eastern Range, V.S.A.P. Nanayakkara said after meeting with the representatives from all the parties.

Assistant Elections Commissioner for Batticaloa T. Krishnanandalingam said that The Batticaloa Election Office accepted 52 nominations that include 30 parties and 22 independent groups by the deadline on Friday (25). The final list of candidates will be handed over to the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake this week.

Six main parties will be contesting the election. There were 831 contestants to fill 101 seats in the nine divisions of Batticaloa.

There will be 285 polling booths for 270,471 voters registered in the district. Nine of the polling booths are for Internally Displaced People. There will be polling booths near the IDP camps and if needed the officials are considering to provide transport the IDPs.