EC beefs up security for final phase

Eleven Lok Sabha constituencies in Orissa, 13 in Assam, two each in Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Madhya Pradesh and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Lakshadweep.

Ensuring security to conduct the polls in a fair and free atmosphere was quite evidently the chief concern of the Election Commission and the Home Ministry. This was reflected in the unprecedented security arrangements under way. The Army launched a series of air surveillance sorties in Assam, while paramilitary forces planned a flag march in Bihar. In West Bengal, the border with Bangladesh was sealed off. Central paramilitary forces, already in position in the different constituencies, are being further beefed up.

Additional paramilitary forces are being deployed in Assam in view of ULFA8217;s threat to disrupt polls. Elections in four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar have been postponed due to incessant rains and floods so the forces in these constituencies have been redeployed in some of the more violence-prone areas.

But with political parties like the JDU and Samata party voicing fears of poll violence and voter intimidation in Bihar, the EC is taking no chances. Apprehending trouble, the EC and the Home Ministry have deployed a full complement of forces, including a static force in one of the potential trouble spots, Madhepura, where RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav faces JDU president Sharad Yadav.

With political stakes pitched so high, every polling station in the Madhepura constituency will have security personnel to prevent any attempts at booth-capturing or disruption of the polls.

Similarly, security arrangements in Amethi, where Sonia Gandhi is pitted against Sanjay Singh of the BJP, have been strengthened and shoot-at-sight orders issued to deter any attempts at disruption in what has become a do or die arena for both the Congress and the BJP.

Polling for the Lok Sabha seats of Outer Manipur and Anantnag would be held on October 4. But elections for the Dubri seat in Assam, and for the four Bihar constituencies of Purnea, Rajmahal, Bhagalpur and Khagaria has been postponed to October 28.

Vajpayee, who faces veteran Congress returnee, Karan Singh, in Lucknow ended the campaign by addressing two political meetings in his constituency. Other newsmakers in the fray in the fifth phase include former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar from his traditional stronghold, Balla, former ministers Arun Nehru and Satish Sharma in Rae Bareli, Indrajit Gupta from Midnapore, BSP leader Mayawati from Akbarpur and former Union Minister Santosh Mohan Deb from Silchar.

With the completion of the fifth phase of polling, the counting of votes for the 538 constituencies out of 543 in the Lok Sabha will begin as scheduled on October 6. The electoral process will be concluded by October 10 so that the 13th Lok Sabha can be constituted before October 21 in keeping with the constitutional requirement.

In Tripura, airforce helicopters flew across the state to supervise counter-insurgency operations and the movement of security and polling personnel. Border security force has tightened their vigil along the 856 km long Indo-Bangla border to prevent cross-border movement of militants and unauthorised persons.