Gujarat Lok Sabha polls: Security watch on anti-social elements

AHMEDABAD: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for peaceful conduct of Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat, where for the first time paramilitary forces have been given the responsibility to keep a tab on anti-social elements in sensitive areas.

The state will have a single phase election on all the 26 seats tomorrow at 45,380 polling booths.

According to State Election Commission, 23 per cent of all the 45,380 poling booths are either 'vulnerable' or 'critical'.

Apart from regular police force of more than 1 lakh personnel, Gujarat has also deployed 175 companies of paramilitary forces, including CRPF, BSF, Rapid Action Force (RAF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to maintain law and order during polls. Each company comprises 70 to 90 jawans, which brings the total figure up to 14,000 jawans.

"We have already deployed these 175 companies of paramilitary forces at various polling booths in the state. They will be accompanied by more than 1 lakh police personnel of state, including Home Guards, Gram Rakshak Dal and senior police officers," said state Director General of Police (DGP) PC Thakur.

"For the first time ever, we have decided to actively involve paramilitary to keep a tab on anti-social elements. To do so, each company is given a list of areas having notorious elements, who can disrupt the polling. With this initiative, forces can put those areas under constant surveillance," said Thakur.

As per police department, around 2 lakh police and paramilitary personnel are deployed across the state to ensure free and fair polling.

"We are also taking help of around 3,000 jawans of State Reserve Police (SRP) and more than 5,000 policemen from other states. All of them are given 'stand-by' orders for next 48 hours. Apart from polling centres, our men have also taken their positions at EVM counting centres across the state," the DGP said.

"We have divided these critical and vulnerable centres in 4 categories, starting from 'C1', which is of highest priority. We have deployed one or two extra companies of paramilitary force to avoid any unwarranted situation," he added.