Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in Cuddalore district with hundreds of policemen keeping a tight vigil for the General Elections to Cuddalore and Chidambaram (SC) parliamentary constituencies on April 19.
According to police sources, Central paramilitary forces will be deployed in vulnerable booths to augment security and surveillance measures. Besides five companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) numbering around 450 personnel, and a sizeable contingent of Tamil Nadu Special Police, Andhra State Police, Telangana Home Guards, ex-servicemen, retired policemen and others will also assist the police on poll day.
Cuddalore district has a total of 2,302 polling booths. Of them around 187 booths have been designated as critical and nearly 11 as vulnerable. These booths have been identified as critical and vulnerable based on past experiences and voting patterns in previous elections. The police have also intensified vigil to prevent the flow of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) from neighbouring Puducherry.
Polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. across 2,302 polling stations. The electorate of 21,23,276 includes 10,45,551 men, 10,77,438 women and 287 others.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT machines have been made available to all polling stations across the district and they were shifted with police security from the strong rooms to all the locations.
In Villupuram, District Election Officer and Collector C. Palani on Thursday issued posting orders to 9,436 personnel for election duty. The orders were issued to 2,359 presiding officers and an equal number of first, second and third polling officers.
The district will have a total of 1,966 polling stations.
