28,000 cops, flag marches, and traffic curbs: Mumbai police gear up for BMC polls
In the run-up to the BMC elections on Thursday, the police will coordinate with election squads to address complaints of law-and-order violations or inducements such as cash and alcohol distribution.
With hours to go for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Thursday, the Mumbai police have put in place a series of measures to ensure that voting and the vote-counting process a day later proceed smoothly.
On Wednesday night, police personnel across the city will be on standby, maintaining constant communication with the election staff’s flying squads. “If there are any complaints about law-and-order issues or inducements such as cash or alcohol distribution, our officials must rush to the spot and ensure that the election staff can perform their duties without disruption,” a police officer said.
On polling day, more than 28,000 police personnel will be deployed across Mumbai, including 10 additional commissioners, 33 deputy commissioners of police (DCPs), 84 assistant commissioners of police (ACPs), 3,000 officers, and 25,000 constables. In addition, State Reserve Police Force platoons, Quick Response Teams, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Riot Control Police (RCP), and Home Guards will be stationed at sensitive locations to maintain law and order, a senior official said.
On Friday, vote-counting day, certain traffic restrictions have been put in place, the official added. “Since vote-counting centres will see party workers gathering, it could cause traffic congestion. So, we have closed some roads and provided alternative routes,” the official added.
Flag marches held
In the days leading up to the polls, ‘flag marches’ were carried out across the city in areas that witnessed law and order issues during earlier elections, police officials said. These flag marches or route marches have anywhere between 150 and 200 police personnel marching through the areas, making announcements through public address systems. In several sensitive areas, senior police officers like DCPs also joined the march.
“This is meant to be a show of strength by the police, for both the general public and anti-social elements. It shows the might of the police to those intending to break the law while assuring the common man that the police are around and they do not have to be scared and can vote freely,” a police officer explained.
On Tuesday morning, DCP (Zone IV) Ragasudha, along with officers from local police stations and assistant commissioners of police, carried out route marches in areas under the jurisdiction of the Wadala and Antop Hill police stations. “Based on some issues that may have taken place in these areas earlier, we select areas to carry out route marches,” Ragasudha said.
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An officer from South Mumbai said that the police generally carry out route marches before EVM machines are dispatched to the polling centres in each area. “Once EVMs reach polling centres, personnel from police stations are stationed in these areas and cover a circumference of 100 metres. Hence, these marches are carried out a few days before the polls,” the officer explained.
Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems.
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