More than 600 polling booths in sensitive areas of Naxalite-hit Bastar division, which will vote on November 7 in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, will be under a three-layered security cover, it was announced on Sunday.
A comprehensive security arrangement has been made for the in the sprawling Bastar division, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.
“Central paramilitary forces and special forces like District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Bastar Fighters (all units of state police) and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action – an elite unit of CRPF) have been deployed for security of polling stations and roads,” he said.
Special forces from adjoining states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha will also handle the front along the interstate borders, he said.
There will be security arrangement comprising central paramilitary forces and local police in other polling booths as per the criteria of the Election Commission, he said.
Due to security reasons, 149 polling stations in Bijapur, Narayanpur, Antagarh, Dantewada and Konta constituencies were shifted to the nearest police station and security camp.
In 2018, 196 polling stations were shifted while 330 booths were relocated in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the region.
Twelve assembly seats of Bastar division are among the 20 constituencies that will see voting in the first phase.
Of the 12 seats, voting will be held from 7 am to 3 pm in Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta seats, while electors in the remaining three – Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot – will be able to cast their ballot between 8 am and 5 pm.