Security stepped up as city goes to polls today

Over 30,000 cops from Delhi, 10,000 others deployed

Security agencies have made elaborate arrangements for Wednesday’s Assembly polls in the city.

Around 32,000 Delhi Policemen along with 10,000 personnel from paramilitary forces will be on vigil as votes are cast.

“An estimated 32,800 personnel from Delhi Police, including constables, deputy commissioners of police and assistant commissioners of police, have been deputed for enhancing the security grid on polling day,” A K Shrivastava, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, said.

In addition, 107 companies of paramilitary forces, including personnel from the Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force, have been deployed for polling at the 11,763 main polling booths.

“Most of these companies were deployed for security arrangements during the elections in Rajasthan, and are now being moved into the state,” said a senior police officer.

Delhi has 11,992 polling booths, which include 11,763 main and 229 auxiliary booths. About 630 of these have been identified as critical and hyper critical. 

Police pickets will be erected overnight: at each one of them two police officials will be deployed.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said  the security mechanism will be in place during the night before polling.

For a small polling station with one voting booth, a constable will be assisted by a home guard personnel. But for large polling stations with multiple booths, as many as 13 policemen, including an ACP will be deployed, the official said.

Police will be deployed about 600 feet away from each polling booth, while paramilitary  forces will be deployed in and outside these booths. 

Voters would have to pass through door-frame metal detectors put up at all polling stations.Duties of specialised units of police like the Special Cell, Economic Offences Wing, Crime branch, and Traffic Police, have already been specified.

Mobile teams with senior police officers will patrol the city. Crime teams, bomb disposal squads, quick response teams and ambulances have been also be deployed.