Over 13,000 security personnel in B'lore for polls

Bangalore, May 9: Elaborate security arrangements had been put in place with deployment of over 13,000 security personnel in 28 constituencies of the city that goes to polls in the first phase of the Karnataka Assembly elections tomorrow.

Briefing reporters on the arrangements, City Police Commissioner N Achyuta Rao said that out of 5,685 polling booths coming under 28 city segments, 2,002 had been declared as hyper sensitive and 2,000 as sensitive.

He said 30 companies of para-military forces, KSRP and CAR policemen apart from the local police would take care of the security.

Out of 28 segments, BTM Layout and Bommanahalli had been declared as hyper sensitive segments while Padmanabhanagara, Chikpet, Mahalakshmi Layout, Jayanagar and K R Puram had been declared as sensitive.

Para-military personnel would man all the polling booths in the two hyper sensitive constituencies, he said.

The city police had seized materials worth Rs 70 lakh meant to be distributed among the voters. This included cash, illegal liquor and sarees. About 1000 anti-social elements had been rounded up, he said.

He said 600 mobile squads would be on the move on the election day. Strict instructions had been given to act ruthlessly against distribution of liquor or other appeasement to the voters, any attempt made to intimidate votes, bogus voting or disturbance to poll process, he said.

Frontline political parties have waged high stakes in the city in view of increase in the constituencies from the previous 16 to 28, following the demarcation of segments under Delimitation Commission recommendations. The state had a total of 224 Assembly constituencies.

UNI