Indo-Nepal border sealed for third phase polls in Bihar

, Apr 23: The Election Commission (EC) has deployed 143 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF), 74 companies of

Military Police (BMP) and 20,523 district police jawans for the third phase of

in the state tomorrow.

Seven Lok Sabha constituencies — Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Banka - are going to polls in this phase. Around 1.08 crore voters will get an opportunity to exercise their franchise at 9,840 polling stations to decide the fate of 108 candidates in fray.

"Apart from the security forces, 3,003 patrolling magistrates, 949 sectoral magistrates and 456 zonal magistrates have been deployed," Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshmanan said. "The sectoral magistrates will ensure that free and fair polls are held in 5,142 vulnerable hamlets spread over the seven constituencies and comprising 2.09 lakh voters," he said.

Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj constituencies are located on Indo-Nepal border

Since Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj constituencies are located on the Indo-Nepal border, the Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) for the first time during this general elections, has sealed the international border. "The Indo-Nepal border will remain sealed till the end of polls tomorrow. We have intensified patrolling and deployed our intelligence personnel all along," SSB DIG Deepak Kumar told PTI.

To bolster security arrangements, two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters will patrol the skies over Banka constituency which is a naxal-infested district. Polling for Katoria and Belhar Assembly segments in this constituency will be held from 7 am to 4 pm as against the normal 7 am to 6 pm in other places. Altogether, 310 motorbikes and 24 boats will be used to patrol the riverine areas spread over the seven constituencies, he said.

PTI