PTI | Patna
Security arrangements have been tightened across Bihar for the second and final phase of the assembly elections scheduled on Tuesday, with more than 4 lakh personnel deployed to ensure peaceful polling, officials said.
Voting will be held at 45,399 polling stations, including 40,073 in rural areas, across 122 assembly constituencies.
According to sources in the state police, there are around 8,491 critical polling station locations (PSLs) where security personnel will remain extra vigilant during
the polls.
Around 500 companies (around 50,000 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Force had been engaged in pre-election duties in Bihar, and subsequently, 500 more companies of CAPF arrived in the state, an official said.
Asked about the number of sensitive polling centres in the second phase, the officer said, “from a security point of view, all booths are equally important”.
“Gayaji has the highest number of critical PSLs at 1,084, followed by Aurangabad (942), Rohtas (827), Nawada (690), Banka (613), Bhagalpur (574), Bettiah (526), Araria (518), Supaul (406), Bagha (368), Jamui (357), Bhabhua (325), Arwal (315), Jehanabad (287), Madhubani (282), etc.
“There are places where the number of critical PSLs are zero. These include Kishanganj, Purnea, Motihari and Sitamathi,” official said. Besides, there are 13,651 hamlets in 122 seats which have been identified as ‘vulnerable’, the official said.
Election Commission (EC) officials and security personnel are making special arrangements to ensure smooth voting in these vulnerable areas, he said.
Bihar recorded the “highest ever” voter turnout of over 65% in the first phase of polling across 121 assembly constituencies on November 6.
