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| Security up as first phase polling today | | |
Munish Gupta
Jammu, Apr 15: Intelligence inputs and speculations about possible militants’ strike in Jammu city in wake of parliamentary elections tight security has been put in place for tomorrow’s first phase of parliamentary elections in which Jammu- Poonch constituency would go to poll with four districts. Meanwhile, poll related material and officials of the state government have been sent to the respective polling stations for carrying out poll duties.
Besides outer districts of Jammu region including Samba, Rajouri and Poonch, the security has also been beefed up in the ‘City of Temples’ with deployment of additional forces for free and fair Lok Sabha polls.
''Para-military forces including CRPF, BSF, Army and other security agencies have been deployed in all 2210 polling stations in Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts of this parliamentary constituency,'' IG Jammu K Rajendra told early Times Correspondant adding that special security grid has been put in place for sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths. . “The security deployment has been put on maximum and an alert has been sounded as fears that militants may try to disrupt the poll process have been pouring in since the last few days,” the official added.
Meanwhile, security at all entry and exit points has also been beefed up while vehicles with tinted glasses are not being allowed to move freely in the city.
''The paramilitary forces including 80 companies of Central Reserve Police Force along with State police have been deployed in different parts of the bordering Poonch belt while choppers have also been kept ready,'' Deputy Inspector general of Police A Q Manhas, told. He said that 17 police personnel have been deployed at every hypersensitive booth.
“The local police will assist the paramilitary troopers to ensure peaceful polls,” Manhas added.
Meanwhile, 22 micro observers have also been appointed for the first time in parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the authorities have made the provision of 28 mobile polling stations which came under firing range across the border.
''Around 450 companies of Central police forces will assist the state police in managing the security apparatus and keep vigil on each and every movement of any anti-national or anti-social element for incident free elections,'' a senior police official said and added, ''we are combing the entire areas and special focus is being given to vulnerable locations and polling stations.’’
In Jammu Railway Station too security has been strengthened by additional deployment. Police have imposed restriction on the entry of vehicle in the side railway station and after through checking passengers have been allowed to enter to the station. Every thing being carried by the passenger in the railway station is adequately scanned in the scanners said an official deployed there on regular routine. He said that railway tracks have been properly checked by all the concerned police stations in their concerned.
On the one hand it has been generating a sense of security among the people from across the country arriving in the city of temples, but on the other it is also creating problems for the visitors in the railway station due to strict security arrangements. Jammu Parliamentary Constituency has the highest number of 17, 21, 696 electorate including 8, 89, 562 male and 8, 32, 134 female voters. This also includes 23,674 service electors which is the highest count among the six Parliamentary seats of the State.
Jammu-Poonch seat comprised highest number of 20 Assembly segments among all six Lok Sabha seats of the State. While Jammu district has 11 Assembly seats, Rajouri four, Poonch three and Samba two.
Among 20 Assembly segments, BJP represents a maximum number of 7 (all in Jammu district), followed by Congress, which has five MLAs, NC 4, PDP 2, NPP and Independent one each.
Even though there are 21 candidates in fray for the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary segment, the contest is likely between Madan Lal Sharma of congress and Bhartiya Janta Party’s Leela Karan Sharma.
The first phase of the 15th Lok Sabha elections is being held in a total of 124 constituencies, covering 15 States and two Union territories.
Polling will be held for the 13 out of 40 seats in Bihar, Maharashtra 13 (48), Andhra Pradesh 22 (42), Orissa 10 (21), Assam 3 (14), Jammu and Kashmir 1 (6), Arunachal Pradesh 2 (2), Jharkhand 6 (14), Uttar Pradesh 16 (80), while all 20 seats of Kerala, 11 in Chhattisgarh and two in Meghalaya.
A total of 1,715 candidates, including 122 women, are in the fray for 124 seats in the first of the five-phased election. The Election Commission has calculated as many as 14.31 crore eligible voters for the first phase
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