More forces deployed in Assam
Guwahati: Apprehending trouble ban has been imposed on poll victory celebrations in the violence affected Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council (BTC) areas in Assam even as elaborate precautionary measures have been taken to prevent any untoward incident throughout the state when the poll results are declared on May 16 next.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up total 142 vote counting halls in total 51 votes counting centres throughout the state for counting of votes in total 14 Lok Sabha constituencies on May 16.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Assam R C Jain informed that the EC would appoint 60 central observers for the counting process. A micro observer will be posted in every counting table in all the counting halls.
The returning officer of Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency Nitin Khade has cautioned all the political parties and poll candidates that no public celebrations of poll victory would be allowed throughout the Kokrajhar parliamentary constituency in view of the prevailing situation after the latest spell of violence.
The returning officer told the all the poll candidates in the constituency that none of them and their agents would be allowed to leave votes counting centre till the process of counting was over.
At least 46 persons including children were killed in the violence that rocked Kokrajhar and Baksa districts of the BTC areas since April 28 last.
The apparent cause of the violence was voting pattern in Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency against a particular political party.
Assam Police have augmented the law and order arrangements not only in BTC areas but also the entire state.
Director General of Assam Police Khagen Sharma informed that total 60 senior police officials from the rank of Additional Director General to Deputy Superintendent were being engaged in law and order maintenance duty throughout all the districts in the state.
Total 100 companies of the Army personnel and 34 companies of paramilitary force personnel have been deployed in the state while 125 additional permanent police pickets have been set up in the four districts of violence-affected BTC area including 63 pickets in Kokrajhar district, 39 in Chirang district, 20 in Baksa district and 11 in Udalguri district. More companies of paramilitary forces are being dispatched to the state by the Centre.
