Communal flare-ups in Bawana, Badarpur and Trilokpuri have made the Election Commission (EC) revisit polling booths to ensure free and fair Assembly elections. The poll watchdog has identified 741 sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths. Of these, 191 are hypersensitive. The total number of polling stations in Delhi is 12,083.
The Election Commission has also requisitioned 120 companies of Central paramilitary forces to assist Delhi Police in manning the security of polling booths and EVMs. There are Intelligence intercepts indicating attacks by subversives; security has been scaled up to the highest level.
The numbers of sensitive and hypersensitive booths have gone up this year compared to December 2013 Assembly polls. A total of 677 polling premises were declared sensitive and hypersensitive during Assembly polls in December 2013. Besides 80,000 Delhi police personnel, over 120 companies of paramilitary forces would be deployed across the Capital.
As per EC data, the North-East district has the higher number of sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths. Out of the total 162 polling booths in North-East district, 106 are sensitive and 56 hypersensitive. This has necessitated a review of security in the district as it shares borders with Ghaziabad. Similarly, several Assembly constituencies perceived sensitive include Seelampur, Mustafabad, Karawal Nagar and Shahdara in the North-East district.
In East Delhi, 77 polling premises have been identified as sensitive and hypersensitive this time around due to communal violence in Trilokpuri constituency. All polling stations in Trilokpuri and Okhla have been categorised as sensitive and hypersensitive. Polling booths in Bawana and Badarpur constituencies too have been placed under sensitive and hypersensitive category due to sectarian violence. South district has 78 sensitive and 18 hypersensitive polling booths, South-East
has 67 sensitive and 25 hypersensitive booths, South-West district has 52 sensitive and 16 hypersensitive booths, West district has 32 sensitive and 21 hypersensitive booths, Central district has 38 sensitive and 8 hypersensitive booths, North district has 36 sensitive and 1 hyper sensitive booths and Outer district has 59 sensitive and 10 hypersensitive booths. The areas with sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths include
Okhla, Trilokpuri, Badarpur, Seelampur, Sangam Vihar, Bawana, Sultanpuri, Jamia Nagar, Jama Masjid, Mustafabad, Karawal Nagar and Bijwasan. Sources in the EC said sensitive and hypersensitive booths have been decided on the basis of criminal proclivity in the area. If the constituency has a history of riots and political clashes between party workers, it has been placed under hypersensitive category. A polling station is declared sensitive or hypersensitive if there is reason to fear booth capturing or violence there.
At a general booth, a head constable, a policeman and a Home Guard are deployed. In a sensitive booth, this number is increased by four — an extra head constable and three extra policemen. The number is two head constables, four policemen and one Home Guard.
In a hypersensitive booth, one extra head constable and six more policemen are deployed apart from the regulation number. As a precautionary measure, bordering areas of Delhi would be sealed 48 hours prior to polling. Besides, Delhi Police has identified 14 entry points on the borders, which are “sensitive”.