Over 73,000 police personnel deployed to ensure peaceful polls in Haryana

Haryana: Elaborate security arrangements have been made across Haryana in a bid to ensure that Monday's Assembly polls are conducted in a peaceful manner.

More than 40,000 Haryana police personnel, over 13,000 Paramilitary personnel and more than 20,000 Home Guards and Special police officers have been deployed for the voting scheduled for October 21.

Manoj Yadav, Haryana DGP informed that there are more than 2,000 "vulnerable" polling stations where Paramilitary forces have been deployed as per the direction of Election Commission (EC).

He said that each one of the 19,500 polling booths have been covered by the deployment of at least one constable and one home guard personnel.

"We have covered each one of the 19,500 polling booths with the deployment of atleast one constable and one home guard personnel. More than 40,000 Police personnel of Haryana Police, more than 13,000 paramilitary personnel, more than 20,000 home guards and special police officers have been deployed," said the DGP.

"We have made effective, strong and comprehensive security arrangements as well as law and order arrangements for ensuring free, fair and peaceful voting on October 21. We have deployed a large number of mobile vehicles of police which will be constantly carrying out patrolling in their assigned beats ensuring a maximum response time of 10 minutes," said Yadav.

"There are more than 2,000 vulnerable polling stations. Vulnerable booths are those where there is a possibility of intimidation of voters belonging to the weaker section of society. Paramilitary personnel have been deployed as per the directions of Election Commission," he said.

According to the Election Commission, there are 1,83,90,525 registered voters including 1,07,955 service voters in the state while there are 5,741 polling stations in urban areas and 13,837 in rural areas. A total of 29,400 ballot units, 24,899 control units, and 27,611 VVPAT machines will be used for this Assembly election.

Voting will take place to the 90-member Haryana assembly on October 21. The Assembly election will witness multi-cornered contest on several seats between BJP, Congress, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).