Govt seeks more vigil for RS polling day

Apprehending irregularities on the day of voting for the Rajya Sabha polls, the state government has asked the home department to provide additional security at the polling station at  Swarnim Sankul-2 on August 8.

The decision has been taken as there are chances of cross voting by members, and in such a case there could be instances of violence between party leaders and rebel members, sources said.

However, the government cited movement of VVIPs like BJP national president Amit Shah, who is also the BJP’s RS candidate, as the reason for seeking higher security.

“Authorities have restricted the movement of other people around the polling station. Special entry passes have been issued to authorised people for movement in the area and senior officials of the rank of SP and DySP will be appointed for security,” added sources.

Sources in the Gujarat government said, “It is obvious that movement of VVIPs like Amit Shah and CM Vijay Rupani will be seen on the polling day. The government has cited it as a reason for additional security but it is also apprehended that there can be a friction between two political parties and that could lead to the deterioration of law and order situation at polling station.”

MONSOON SESSION

The monsoon session of Gujarat Assembly also starts on August 8. The sessions will be held in Mahatma Mandir in place of the Assembly building which is under renovation. To be on a safe side, the government has decided to keep the venue of temporary Assembly at a distance from polling stations.