Tight security arrangements for sixth phase UP polls today

Additional director general (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar said polling will be held for 57 assembly constituencies in 10 districts.

Over 868 companies of central paramilitary forces and state armed police, over 1.27 lakh civil police personnel, home guards and Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) jawans and village guards, have been deployed for free and fair polling in the sixth phase of UP assembly polls on Thursday.

Polling officials at an equipment distribution center as they leave for their respective polling stations for the sixth phase of the UP polls, in Gorakhpur on Wednesday. (ANI)

Additional director general (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar said polling will be held for 57 assembly constituencies in 10 districts. These include Deoria, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Mahrajganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddarthnagar, Balrampur, Ambedkarnagar and Ballia.

Kumar said strategic deployment of forces has been done for sensitive constituencies, vulnerable areas, polling centre, booths, inter-state and international barriers. He said quick response teams, flying squads and static squads too have been deployed to ensure smooth conduct of elections.

“There are 9 sensitive constituencies in the sixth phase including Gorakhpur (city), Banshi, Itwa, Dumariyaganj, Balia (city), Phephna or Fefana, Bairia, Sikandarpur and Banshdeeh. Overall, 824 localities are vulnerable and 2962 polling booths are critical,” he added.

He said polling will be conducted at 13,930 polling centres having 25,319 booths under 179 police station limits of 10 districts. “109 pink booths have been prepared for women voters and at least 19 women inspectors and sub-inspectors, as well as 259 women head constables and constables, have been deployed there,” he added.

He said 851.1 companies of central paramilitary forces (CPMF) and 17.1 companies of provincial armed constabulary (PAC) were provided for the polling.

He said around 797.94 companies of CPMF were deployed for booth duties, 6 companies for security of 18 strong rooms and 44.83 companies of CPMF for law-and-order duty. He said law-and-order duties included 28.50 companies for quick response teams and 6.39 companies for checking at 115 inter-state barriers

In addition to paramilitary forces, 17.1 companies of PAC were deployed at different vulnerable localities and places.

Around 6,783 inspectors and sub-inspectors, 57,550 head constables and constables, 46,236 home guards, 1,627 PRD personnel and 15,004 village guards were deployed on polling duties.

For conduct of free and fair polling, police have bound down around 637,314 people for different reasons as a precautionary measure.

Also, the police ensured 63,899 licensed firearms, seized one licensed firearm and got 539 fire arm licenses cancelled.