WARANGAL: Tight security arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of by-election amidst Maoists’ call to boycott the Saturday’s voting. Police have identified as many as 819 polling stations as hypersensitive, 393 as sensitive and 566 normal in the total 1778 set up for voting in all seven Assembly constituencies. While Bhupalpally Assembly constituency and some parts of Parkal Assembly constituency are considered as Maoist influenced areas, police have taken additional steps for bandobast.
Apart from 20 companies of paramilitary force, state police from the district and neighbouring districts have been deployed and a DSP level rank officer has been posted at each police station to monitor the situation.
“I don’t think that the Maoists will have influence on the voters. However, we are taking steps as per the standard procedures,” Warangal rural SP Ambar Kishore Jha added.
Meanwhile, district collector and returning officer (RO) for the bypoll Vakati Karuna said that all things required for smooth conduct of voting have already reached polling stations. As many as 1974 Presiding Officers and 2008 Assistant Presiding officers have been appointed in the poll duties, while 738 micro observers have been appointed to oversee voting. “We have also distributed voter slips to 97 percent of the voters. As many as 30 voter assistance centres have also been set up in the city,” the Returning Officer said. Polling is scheduled to start at 7 am and end at 5 pm.