Security measures are in place for the upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly elections, particularly in the sensitive Naxal-hit Bastar division. Over 600 polling booths in these areas will be subjected to a rigorous three-layered security arrangement. Approximately 60,000 security personnel, including 40,000 from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and 20,000 from the state police, have been deployed to ensure a smooth and secure voting process in the 12 assembly segments of Bastar division, as reported by PTI.
This security detail also includes elite anti-Naxal unit CoBRA and women commandos. To address security concerns, 149 polling stations across five assembly constituencies have been relocated to the nearest police stations and security camps. Surveillance and monitoring efforts will involve the use of drones, helicopters, bomb disposal teams, and dog squads.
The Chhattisgarh assembly elections are set to take place in two phases on November 7 and 17, with the first phase covering 12 assembly seats in Bastar division. Voting hours vary, with most polling taking place from 7 am to 3 pm, while some areas, including Bastar, Jagdalpur, and Chitrakot, will have extended hours from 8 am to 5 pm.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P emphasized the comprehensive security arrangements, involving central paramilitary forces, special forces, and units from neighboring states, to safeguard polling stations and roads.
The security cordon includes over 600 polling stations in Naxal-hit areas, while other polling booths will have their own security arrangements based on Election Commission criteria. Special efforts are being made to transport polling personnel and EVMs to interior areas using helicopters.
Additionally, 149 polling stations have been shifted for security reasons, and more than 126 new polling stations have been established, including those that have been re-established in their original villages where the security situation has improved.
In a unique initiative, at least five polling stations in each of the seven districts of the division will be guarded by women commandos. Despite the threat posed by the outlawed CPI (Maoist), the local residents, administration, and security forces remain committed to strengthening the democratic process and ensuring peace, security, and development in the Bastar region.
The police official urged voters in Bastar to turn out in large numbers and fulfill their constitutional responsibility, assuring them that all necessary security measures have been taken to ensure peaceful elections. Naxalites have called for a boycott of the polls, and incidents of violence have occurred in the lead-up to the elections, underscoring the ongoing challenges.
For the first phase of polling, 5,304 polling booths have been set up, covering 20 assembly seats. A total of 223 candidates, including 25 women, will compete for the votes of approximately 40,78,681 voters, comprising males, females, and third-gender individuals.
