Over 60,000 police personnel and 845 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed during the seventh and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on Monday, according to officials. In the seventh phase, voting is proposed in 54 constituencies across nine districts -- Chandauli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Mau, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Bhadohi and Varanasi, the Uttar Pradesh Police said in a statement.
Voting will be held at 12,205 polling stations and 23,535 polling booths in 177 police station areas, it said. “Of them, 28 assembly constituencies of Pindra, Rohaniya, Sewapuri, Shahganj, Malhani, Madiyahun, Kerakat, Machhlishahr, Badlapur, Mungarabadshahpur, Jaunpur Sadar, Jafrabad, Mohammadabad, Jamnian, Saidpur, Zahoorabad, Saidraja, Chakia, Azamgarh, Phulpur Powai, Didarganj, Mau Sadar, Gyanpur, Ajra, Shivpur, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantonment have been kept in the vulnerable category,” the police said.
“A total of 701 localities have been marked as vulnerable in the seventh phase, while 3,359 polling places have been considered as critical,” the police said in a statement. In the seventh phase, 78 Pink Booths (women booths) have been arranged to motivate women to vote, and 12 women inspectors or sub-inspectors and 216 women constables or head constables have been deployed, it said.
As per the instructions of the Election Commission, all 12,205 polling stations will be covered by the CAPF. For the seventh phase, Uttar Pradesh has received 845 companies of CAPF, it said. According to officials, a CAPF company usually has an operational strength of around 70-80 personnel. “Out of these, 778 companies have been engaged for booth duty and six companies have been engaged for EVM security duty. The others have been assigned law and order duties, and postings on international and inter-state barriers,” according to the statement.
Similarly, it said, duties of 6,662 inspectors or sub-inspectors and 53,424 head constables or constables of the Uttar Pradesh Police have been fixed, along with 19 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary. The Uttar Pradesh Police said 65,987 licensed weapons had been deposited with it in the run-up to the assembly polls. Another 34 licensed weapons have been seized and license of 169 arms have been cancelled since the day the code of conduct came into force in the nine poll-bound districts of the seventh phase, it added.
In view of the possibility of breach of peace during elections, 41,227 preventive actions have been taken against 4,20,389 people, it said. Police said they also seized 1,010 illegal arms and 881 cartridges while busting three illegal arms factories. “Till now, a total of Rs 2.25 crore cash, illicit liquor worth Rs 4 crore, narcotics worth Rs 3.17 crore have been seized ahead of elections in the region,” the police statement said. “So far, 71 cognizable offence and 68 non-cognizable offence cases have been registered for violating the code of conduct in these districts, while 17 cases have been registered regarding violation of the election-related guidelines,” it read.
With PTI Inputs
