Clashes feared in Mumbai

Fearing clashes between rival political parties during April 20's poll, authorities in Mumbai have tightened security for Monday's poll.

Fearing clashes between rival political parties during Monday's poll, authorities in India's financial capital have tightened security for Monday's poll.

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Mumbai Police Commissioner A.N. Roy told reporters here that 1,360 polling stations have been declared sensitive in the city and its suburbs due to rivalry among contestants.

Paramilitary troopers have already been deployed and more reinforcements would be in place by Sunday evening, he said.

The ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance and the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine are facing close contests in a number of parliamentary constituencies in the city and its suburbs.

The entry of smaller parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have made the contest keener, with chances of votes being eaten away from the mainstream parties, observers said.

In the South Central Mumbai constituency, the presence of alleged gangster Arun Gawli is also creating problems for law-enforcement authorities.

Police sources said members of Gawli's Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS) have filed numerous complaints of harassment against the Shiv Sena and the NCP. Gawli's nephew Sachin Ahir is the NCP candidate while the Sena has fielded Mohan Rawle, who represented the seat in the dissolved Lok Sabha.

Earlier, several complaints had been filed against ABS activists and the police had even raided Gawli's fortified residence of Dagdi Chawl.

While Mumbai North, Northwest and Northeast constituencies in the suburbs have 820 sensitive polling stations, Mumbai South, South Central and North Central constituencies in the city have 540.

A polling station has one police constable while a sensitive one has two constables.