Gujarat readies for Ist poll, 52,000 central forces deployed

Gandhinagar, Dec 9 (UNI) Tight security arrangements have been made for the first phase election to the Gujarat Assembly, to be held on December 11.

Over 52,000 central paramilitary forces will be deployed at all the 19,924 polling booths set up across 87 Assembly constituencies Saurashtra, Kutch and South Gujarat, that will take part in the first phase. About 1.20 lakh Government employees have panned out to these regions to ensure free and fair election.

Giving this information, Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Babbar said about 3,397 micro-observers have been posted at notified booths to monitor the poll process.

All election related materials have been despatched to the destinations and security forces have already taken up positions at every booth, he said.

Of the total 19,924 booths, around around 4,834 booths have been identified as senstive and 1,306 as hyper-senstive.

"All steps have been take to ensure that peaceful voting taking palace on December 11", Mr Babbar said.

He said micro observors will be deployed in hyper-sensitive or senstive booths. Digital cameras will also placed at majority of booths to record the polling proceedings.

The Commission has taken number of steps to prevent bogus voting and already made the list of absentee or shifted voters. Duplicate voters names have been struck off from the rolls, wherever necessary, he said.

As many as 1,78,77,771 people are eligible to decide the fate of 669 candidates in the fray for 87 Assembly seats. Of these, 9.54 lakhs voters have shifted out of their original listed addresses.

However, their names had not been struck from the rolls.

No one will be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the booths, barring officials who can use it for their official use.

Replying to a question, Mr Babbar said 589 complaints were recieved by the office of CEO for the violation of model code of conduct.

After polling, all the EVMs will be deposited in the safe custody of CPMFs and District Election officer. Round the clock security would be provided to the stored EVMs, he added.

UNI