35,000 in Assam for poll security
As many as 35,000 personnel from various security forces have come to Assam to assist 9,600 jawans in the state to ensure law and order during the two-phase Assembly polls on April 4 and 11.
The forces will be deployed in different areas of the 126 constituencies in the state, additional chief electoral officer, M C Sahu told reporters here.
Two helicopters have also been kept ready to meet any emergency, he said.
For the first time SMS-based poll monitoring system will be implemented through which the state election commission will be informed about activities in polling stations, he said.
In the first phase, where polling will be held in 62 seats, 1,350 booths will be covered by cameras, both video and still, while in the second phase covering the remaining constituencies, 1,148 booths will come under such scanner, he said.
Mr Sahu said while 117 violent incidents occurred in the run-up to the poll, 4,562 non-bailable warrants had been issued.
Police seized 102 unlicensed arms and recovered 3,282 cartridges, 297 detonators and 13 grenades. A total of 6,569 licensed arms had also been deposited, Mr Sahu said.
In the first phase of polling, out of 11,264 stations 2,093 have been declared ‘hyper-sensitive’ and 2,985 ‘sensitive’.
Besides, 817 villages had been identified as ‘vulnerable’. In the second phase, out of 12,589 polling stations, 2,033 have been declared ‘hyper sensitive’ and 4,175 ‘sensitive’. As many as 475 villages have been identified as ‘vulnerable’, he added.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission will soon take a decision on the fate of senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on his alleged violation of model code of conduct. “A show cause notice has been served on Mr Sarma after we received several complaints of violation of code of conduct by him. Mr Sarma has already submitted his reply which has been forwarded to the Election Commission,” additional chief electoral officer, M.C. Sahu told reporters on Wednesday. — PTI
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