The Election Commission (EC) today dispatched around 52,000 polling personnel to their respective polling stations for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bihar on April 17. Seven Lok Sabha constituencies — Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Munger — are going into polls in the second phase.
"We will be dispatching patrolling parties with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) tomorrow to 11,846 polling stations. Adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling," Additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R Lakshmanan told reporters. Around 42,600 security personnel including 152 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF), 74 companies of Bihar Military Police (BMP) and 28,000 homeguard jawans would be deployed on the election day, he said.
The EC is using 16,533 vehicles to mobilise the polling and security personnel in the state. 5,885 polling stations were announced 'critical' during the second phase of polls and special arrangements are being made to ensure free and fair voting at these booths. "CPMF will be deployed at critical polling stations to prevent any disturbance during voting. Video cameras will be used at 703 polling stations and digital cameras at 2,016 polling stations while live webcasting will be done from 631 polling stations," Lakshmanan said.
Two Indian Air Force helicopters, 30 motorboats and 370 motorcycle riding security personnel will mount a watch in diara (riverine) areas that are difficult to patrol. Over 1.22 crore electors will get a chance to decide the fate of 117 candidates in the fray for these seats. Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha (BJP) from Patna Sahib, RJD President Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti from Patliputra, former Union Home Secretary RK Singh (BJP) from Ara, and Bihar's richest candidate, realtor Anil Sharma (JD-U) from Jehanabad are some of the well known candidates in the second phase.
Meanwhile, the EC has set up a control room at the state Chief Electoral Officer's office (telephone number 0612-2215281 and Fax number 0612-2215611) via which people can lodge any election-related complaints.
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