ITANAGAR: The Election Commission has mobilised 75 companies of central paramilitary forces to oversee the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh.
The announcement from the commission comes a day after seven security personnel were injured in the West Kamang district.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain, on Monday, told a local daily that alongside the central paramilitary forces, the state’s police force would also be deployed for election duty.
Addressing concerns about sensitive polling stations, Sain highlighted that out of the 2,226 polling stations, 480 are situated in shadow areas, while 588 and 443 have been identified as critical and vulnerable, respectively.
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To address challenges posed by connectivity issues in these zones, the CEO outlined plans for webcasting and real-time communication in 750 polling stations, with an additional 342 stations equipped with offline webcasting facilities.
As preparations intensify, the state gears up for simultaneous polls scheduled for the first phase on April 19.
However, recent incidents of pre-poll violence, particularly in Tenga and Kalaktang of West Kameng district, have raised concerns.
Stone pelting by supporters of rival candidates resulted in injuries to seven security personnel on Sunday evening.
The Election Commission’s swift response to these incidents is evident in the rescheduling of the vote counting date from June 4 to June 2. This decision aligns with the end of the tenure of the Legislative Assembly.
He also revealed that the state election machinery has, to date, confiscated over Rs 3 crore in cash from various districts and apprehended 378 unlicensed arms.
Out of the 33,996 licensed arms in the state, citizens have surrendered 2,400 arms to various police stations, the CEO informed.
