Tight security in place for Chabbewal byelection today

As many as 205 polling parties along with EVMs, election material and security personnel have been dispatched to conduct voting in Chabbewal Vidhan Sabha constituency on November 20 (Wednesday).

Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Komal Mittal, who visited the dispatch location and briefed the polling staff to ensure free, fair and transparent voting, stated that each polling party included four personnel, including a presiding officer, an assistant presiding officer and two polling officers. The voting will start at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm, she added.

The DC urged all the voters of the constituency to cast their franchise and strengthen the democratic values. She also pointed out that there would be a local holiday in government offices, boards, corporations and educational institutions in the district. Mittal mentioned that workers in registered factories, shops and other establishments having votes in the Chabbewal assembly segment could get a paid holiday to cast their votes. She also pointed out that industrial units in the district had also announced a paid holiday for those workers who have votes in the constituency. All necessary arrangements had been put in place along with technical experts to rectify a snag, if any, in the EVMs. She said all the voters queued up in lines till 6 pm could cast their votes.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surendra Lamba said that foolproof security arrangements were put in place and security personnel deployed in sufficient numbers. He said that nearly 1,500 police personnel, including para-military forces, had been put on poll duty of which 650 personnel were deployed in the constituency. The others had been given duties in patrolling, checking and nakas. As many as 25 locations have been identified as vulnerable, where special focus will be laid on ensuring free, fair and transparent voting, he added.

The SSP said that political parties had been instructed to set up their booths not within a limit of 200 meters from the polling stations. The constituency has 205 polling stations with 1,59,432 voters including 83,704 male and 75,724 female besides four transgender voters.