Tight security for Assy polls, 50,000 policemen deployed

New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) Tight security is in place for polling to the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections which began here this morning, with nearly 50,000 police personnel stationed across the city to ensure free and fair election.

While a total of 34,000 Delhi Police personnel had been deployed on polling booths, pickets and patrolling to ensure free and fair elections for 69 seats, about 18,000 home guards from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and 18 companies comprising forces from states outside the Capital had also been deployed for poll arrangements.

Polling for 69 Assembly constituencies is being held in 10,985 booths located in 25,09 premises.

Additional force had been deployed in sensitive and hyper sensitive booths at border pickets. Further, additional mobile force at three platoon carriers per police station, beside mobile force with ACPs, Additional DCPs, DCPs and Jt CP ranges will patrol the whole of Delhi to meet any emergency.

In addition, crime teams, bomb disposal squads, Delhi Police ambulances and CAT ambulances had also been deployed to tackle any exigency.

Police say 20 reserve companies of the police force are being kept aside to take care of any emergency on the polling days. To prevent entry of any anti-social elements from the borders, meetings were held by the Delhi Police with the Haryana and UP Police to ensure sealing of the borders before the elections.

The Haryana Police had been requested to ensure full attendance at the various 'akharas' in the state, as there is apprehension of musclemen entering the Capital on the eve of elections.

Eight companies of the Delhi Police, supporterd by the local police in Haryana and UP, had been garrisoned in the border areas.

The Delhi Police had taken strict action against those violating the model code of conduct. From the date of announcement of polls till today, about 103 vehicles and 28 loudspeakers had been seized for the violation of the model code of conduct.

Action under preventive sections had been taken against 1027 persons. A total of 13 persons had been booked under the Arms Act.

Under the excise act, 227 cases had been registered and 238 persons arrested.

In its drive against bootleggers, 12,645 bottles, 2,318 halves, 45,286 quarters, 136 litres of liquor and 35 vehicles carrying liquor had been seized.

The Delhi Police had registered 1,635 cases under the West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Peroperty Act and arrested 735 people in this regard. About 15,303 hoardings, banners, posters, wall writings had been removed and seized in the above cases.

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