With hours left before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections in the world’s largest democracy, security has been heightened at multiple locations across the country with police and paramilitary forces conducting intensive patrolling.
Visuals from the national capital showed that the North-East Delhi District Police along with paramilitary forces were patrolling and checking vehicles in Nand Nagri, Seelampur, Dayalpur, Sonia Vihar and Bhajanpura areas of Delhi.
Patrolling is also on at the Connaught Place and Barakhamba areas of Delhi. Security has been heightened at counting centres in Delhi’s Khelgaon, Siri Institutional Area and other places as well.
Around 70 companies of the security forces have been deployed at all seven counting centres across the national capital as part of the elaborate security arrangements made by the Delhi Police for the vote-counting day.
In Jammu and Kashmir, speaking on the preparation for Lok Sabha poll counting day, Jammu Deputy Commissioner Sachin Kumar said, “All the preparations have been done…The training of the staff and randomization have also been done. The candidates of the political parties have been issued I-cards and sensitized. Section 144 has been imposed in the area of the counting and to maintain the sanctity of the model code of conduct so that there is no problem around 100 metres of the centre.”
Visuals from Srinagar show that security has been heightened at a counting centre at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre.
In Uttarakhand, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh inspected security arrangements in the area ahead of counting day.
“According to ECI rules, in the inner cordon where counting will be held in two halls, paramilitary forces have been deployed. Without a pass, no one will be allowed to enter except the polling party or agents. In the second layer (of security) which is up to 100 metres, no one will be allowed to enter without a pass and no one will be allowed to get in without checking. Our constables and forces will be present. In the outer cordon where there is parking and facilities to keep bags and mobiles, our civil police is in place. We have arranged three layers of security. Along with this, fire tenders are in place and drills were conducted…Our force has been briefed,” Singh said.
Visuals from Mumbai show that security has been heightened at some counting centres ahead of the counting of votes. Security personnel were conducting intensive patrolling and checking at the Eastern Express Highway.
Meanwhile, Ayodhya IG, Praveen Kumar also briefed about the preparation for Lok Sabha poll counting day today.
“The necessary arrangements have been made as per the guidelines of the ECI… CCTV has been installed…Briefing has been done to the forces…Any untoward incident will be monitored and those who will try to create any mischief, action will be taken against that person,” said IG Ayodhya.
As the mega vote counting for the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday is only a few hours away, guidelines have been issued and security systems have been set up at multiple counting centres in different cities for the smooth conduct of the electoral process.
Prime Minister Modi’s home state, Gujarat, has also prepared for the vote-counting day as security forces rehearse and perform drills for the effortless conduct of D-day.
The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is poised to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats. Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
