Over 1 Lakh Security Personnel Deployed For UP Phase 1 Elections Tomorrow

Working on criteria by EC, UP Police has categorised 15,732 polling centres out of 91,727 as 'critical'.

Lucknow: UP Police is all geared up for the peaceful conduct of the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in eight parliamentary constituencies in west UP on Thursday.

A leading daily has reported that over 1 lakh security personnel have been deployed to ensure peaceful polls. All of this, because out of 91,727 polling centres, 15,732 have been identified as ‘critical’.

A senior police official told the daily that they mapped polling centres as per the parameters laid down by the Election Commission (EC) and such classification helps in the deployment of security forces as per the ‘vulnerability’ of the polling stations.

While no details have been given by police officials as to how they put polling centres under categories, what the criteria was, sources within the force told the daily that communally volatile districts or those which witnessed caste clashes will be under the radar.

Also, 14,399 persons have been identified as ‘trouble makers’ of which 13,883 have been asked to sign a bond. “We have divided the state into 1,209 zones and 12,064 sectors for maintaining proper security. We have registered cases against 3,709 persons under the Gangsters Act and booked 54 criminals under National Security Act,” a top official was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, they also claim to have seized cash and valuables amounting to Rs 96.40 crore till April 8, which is double the seizure ahead of 2017 UP assembly elections.