Karnataka   

Central forces, police ensure incident-free polls

MYSORE: The deployment of Central forces along with a large number of State police personnel for the first phase of elections in Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajnagar districts ensured incident-free polls on Saturday. No violence was reported in the districts.

The Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed in the three districts . The Central forces personnel were stationed at hypersensitive booths.

For the first time, the BSF had deployed three companies to oversee security in Mysore district.

The State police were overseeing security outside the polling booths while the Central forces were manning the polling booths. The Central forces personnel coordinated with the State police here. They strictly enforced the rule that no vehicle be parked within a 100-metre radius of the polling booth.

BSF Commandant Asitav Mohanty, who headed the three companies of the BSF, inspected the polling booths. Each company consisted of 75 personnel. Mr. Mohanty was happy with the measures taken by his personnel to ensure “foolproof security” at the designated booths.

Central forces included 20 companies which were deployed in Mysore district. Of this, 10 companies, including three companies of the BSF, two companies of the CRPF and five companies of the CISF were deployed in Mysore city. The remaining 10 companies had been deployed in the rural pockets. Four platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police and 30 patrolling vans were deployed to keep vigil.

In Mandya, 7,000 police personnel, including 2,300 Central forces, were deployed in seven constituencies. Mobile squads of the Central forces had been formed to cover five to six sensitive booths.

Ramesh, a voter of Krishnaraja constituency, said, “Kudos to the Election Commission for the security arrangements. This time, the elections have been conducted in true democratic manner.” In most places, the number of people assembled outside polling booths did not exceed 20. Volunteers had put up booths at a distance from the polling booths to assist voters in locating their names in the list.

Inspector-General of Police Jeevan Kumar Goankar congratulated the police forces for ensuring peaceful polling in the three districts.

Election Observer Narayan Jha said voting was peaceful in all the 11 constituencies of Mysore district.

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