The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) is leaving no stone unturned as far as security arrangement for the upcoming polls of local self-Government bodies in Gujarat are concerned. Apart from State police, SEC has called in for 110 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
The elections for six municipal corporations including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar are to be held on Sunday. In the second phase polling for 31 district panchayats, 230 taluka (tehsil) panchayats and 56 municipalities is slated on November 29.
In a press communiqué SEC said that each of these companies usually comprise around 70 to 80 armed men. Already 50 companies of
CAPF have reached to Gujarat in wake of six municipal
corporations’ elections. “20 more will reach by Sunday morning. Remaining 40 companies will reach before the voting date of second phase elections which is spread across the state,” said SEC.
On Friday afternoon State Election Commissioner Varesh Sinha held a high level meeting at the State capital Gandhinagar and reviewed overall law and order situation as well as security arrangement during the polls in the State.
Interestingly apart from the politically and communally sensitive booths, several booths have been declared as “highly sensitive” in view of on-going pro-quota agitation of Patels for reservation in government jobs and education under OBC category.
“SEC has identified 2769 building as highly sensitive, which would house polling booths across the State. Other such 5271 buildings have been put under sensitive category. In order to hold free and fair elections in all these sensitive zones, SEC has decided to deploy 117 companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) along with the CAPF,” it said.
The state police are already in the action in view of the polls as more than 4 lakh vehicles have been checked and 41000 licensed arms given to civilians have been seized and would be returned to them only after the counting on December 2.
As far as polling at the Gujarat’s biggest
city Ahmedabad is concern more than 9,000 personnel of Gujarat police and paramilitary forces will be deployed on Sunday as part of security arrangement.