Massive security for 3rd phase polling in Odisha today

Bhubaneswar : Around 35,000 security personnel, including 121 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), 106 platoons of Odisha Armed Police and 19,865 civil police personnel, have been deployed for the third phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to be held in Odisha on May 25.

Six parliamentary constituencies - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Puri and Sambalpur - along with 42 Assembly seats coming under these Lok Sabha seats, will go to polls in the third phase in Odisha and phase-six in India. Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha.

Voting will be held at 10,551 polling booths at 7,646 locations in 10 districts of Odisha on Saturday. At least 20 per cent of the total booths have been identified as sensitive or critical booths and one to half of section CAPF will be there in all sensitive booths, Odisha DGP Arun Sarangi said here on Friday.

To ensure smooth conduct of the elections, five IPS officers of ASP rank have been mobilised for Sambalpur, Khurda, Keonjhar and Cuttack districts. Sarangi said 84 DSPs will supervise the law and order (two for each Assembly segment) with striking force while 231 sector officers in the rank of inspector with striking force will also be deployed on poll duty.

Besides, 763 mobile parties, 331 flying squad teams and 343 static surveillance teams have been deployed for the twin elections to Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly, he said. The DGP said 17 inter-State border check posts with CCTV surveillance and 116 intra-State border check posts have been set up to check illegal flow of cash, arms, liquor and other substances.

The EVM strong rooms at 25 locations have been established being guarded round the clock by CAPF and State Armed Police in a 2-tiered security system, he added. For each parliamentary constituency, the Election Commission has appointed one police observer. Besides, there are special police observers for the State.

Since January 1, 2024, a total of 34,403 warrants have been executed, more than 4,000 people declared proclaimed offenders, out of which more than 1,000 persons have been arrested, he said.

The Odisha Police seized 254 illegal arms and busted three illegal arms manufacturing units. After enforcement of the model code of conduct, the monetary value of total seizure of various items by police is Rs 89.3 crore, Sarangi said.

So far, 145 social media-related complaints have been received and 394 contents have been removed. Five cases have been registered and one person has been arrested. About 843 social media handles are under surveillance, he added.