Haryana seeks 200 companies of Central forces

Chandigarh: Haryana has sought 200 more companies of the central forces to ensure conduct of free, fair and peaceful polling as the election for all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on May 25.

When asked about security related measures for the polls, Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal on Sunday said the state has already got 15 companies of the central armed police forces.

“In addition, the state’s director general of police has send a proposal to Haryana’s Home department with a request of 200 companies of the central forces.

Once that proposal is forwarded to us (by the Home department), a committee under my chairmanship will approve that demand and send it to the Election Commission India for further action,” Agarwal told reporters here. Additionally,

Haryana Police and home guard personnel will be deployed for security during the elections, he said. Agarwal said that Haryana had got 95 companies of the paramilitary forces in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. When asked why more than double companies have been demanded this time, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said, “I think we had sought about the same or more number of companies last time.”

Asked that the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with announcement of the general elections, will the Nayab Singh Saini government need to take permission if it goes for a cabinet expansion, Agarwal said if the government needs any clarification then we will send it to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for obtaining their clear opinion.

“If the government feels that taking permission is necessary then they will make a reference to us and we will refer to the ECI,” he said. In Haryana, nearly 1.99 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes for the 10 Lok Sabha seats, he said. Agarwal said the total polling stations in Haryana are 19,812. Of this, 2,289 are “vulnerable” while 63 are “critical”, he added. The number of voters in the 18 to 19 age group is over 3.65 lakh, he said. Agarwal said the voters aged between 20 to 29 years are 39,31,717. Over 2.64 lakh voters are aged above 85 years and they can use the postal ballot facility in the elections, he said.

The CEO said in Haryana, there are 11,028 voters who are aged above 100. Persons with Disabilities are over 1.48 lakh, Agarwal said, adding those having disability of more than 40 per cent too can avail postal ballot facility. Agarwal said the number of voters, on an average per assembly constituency, is 2.20 lakh while this average for parliamentary segment is over 19 lakh. He said with the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force and now the Haryana government cannot announce any new scheme.