1.4 lakh personnel to make voting safe

BENGALURU: Director General and Inspector General of Police Neelamani N. Raju on Friday said that the department has geared up for the D-Day to ensure a free, fair and peaceful voting. She said that over 1.4 lakh police personnel, including forces from the Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Rapid Action Force and Seema Suraksha Dal, have taken guard across the state.

Addressing a press conference, the top cop expressed happiness over police commitment to controlling the law and order situation. She said that there were no communal incidents related to election, except for four minor incidents reported in Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, and Bengaluru. 

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Kamal Panth said, "82,157 police personnel have been deployed for election duty, of which 7,500 police personnel are deputed from neighbouring states, along with 585 companies of paramilitary forces and 125 armed platoons to ensure peaceful elections. For the first time, the state home department has taken the services of personnel working at the Lokayukta, ACB, CID, forest department and even prison staff for security duty."

Mr Panth said that 58,302 booths have been set up across the state, of which 12,000 are considered critical and have been given security by central forces.  Booths in Naxal-affected areas are also under check by the police and have been provided with extra security with anti-riot police being positioned in Mangaluru, Bengaluru (urban and rural), Mandya, Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharawad and Belagavi.

A total of 36% of security cover will be provided by central forces, who will also take care of protecting and transporting electronic voting machines (EVMs).