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Bellary goes under security blanket

The police and the district authorities have made stringent security arrangements for peaceful conduct of polling in the Bellary Lok Sabha constituency in the face of mutual allegations of possible rigging by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Besides the regular police force, an additional 1200 officers and men of various forces have been drafted for duty in this constituency, where Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her BJP rival Sushma Swaraj are in the fray.

Bellary returning officer and district commissioner Raj Kamal told newsmen on the eve of polling that prohibitory orders banning entry of unauthorised people in mustering and demustering process had been issued in the district. Besides, 32 additional sectoral magistrates have been appointed to assist the returning officers in the polling process.

District superintendent of police Prashantakumar Thakur said three strike forces of paramilitary, State Reserve Police and district armed police would be stationed in each assembly segment. Besides, three companies of the Central Industrial Security Force and one company of the Border Security Force and 120 mobiles have been deployed throughout the constituency.

Raj Kumar said the Election Commission had clarified that no new polling booth would be approved in this election. Asked whether he had received any complaint from the BJP about shifting of a polling booth located in a private area in Sandur assembly segment, the DC replied in negative.

However, the BJP workers have filed a complaint with the returning officer of the assembly segment, he added.

Shifting or starting of a new booth is exclusively done by the Election Commission and not by the returning officer.

Raj Kumar said the authorities were keeping a watch on strangers following rumours that a lot of people in the guise of political party workers had entered the district. About 100 people were arrested and released on bail. The movement of 150 more was being closed watched.

UNI

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