Raipur
The third phase of voting in Chhattisgarh involves 168 candidates from Congress, BJP and other political parties competing for the votes of 1,39,01,285 voters. Private security guards are being used for election duties for the first time, with 82,000 personnel ensuring peaceful conduct.
The voting for the third phase in Chhattisgarh is set to take place on Tuesday. In this phase, a total of 168 candidates, including prominent leaders from both the Congress and BJP, will be competing. The outcome for these candidates will be determined by 1,39,01,285 voters. This phase will witness polling at 283 polling centers in the No Network Zone, said Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale.
It is important to note that private security guards are being used for election duties for the first time.
82,000 personnel have been assigned the duty to ensure peaceful conduct of elections. Out of the total, 60,000 personnel are district police and 22,000 are CRPF personnel. In addition to Raipur, officers from Delhi will monitor polling booths. Polling centers will be monitored through webcasting, and immediate action will be taken in case of any irregularities.
According to officials from the Election Commission, a total of 15,701 polling teams will be established to oversee the third phase of elections. Out of this number, 77,592 polling personnel have been designated. Out of the total, 61,664 polling personnel will be positioned at booths, while 15,928 will be held in reserve. This comprises 2890 polling centers, 58 of which are run by disabled individuals, 235 by youth, and 306 model polling centers.
There will be 283 polling centers in the NO Network Zone during the voting in the third phase. The Election Commission officers have decided to use runners to exchange information and determine the voting figures at these polling centers. Polling centers in the NO Network Zone include areas such as Surguja and outer Korba.
Due to the lack of staff in the Lok Sabha elections, private security guards are being used for the first time. This new approach is commencing in Bilaspur. They will be assigned to the SPO patrolling team. Nevertheless, SP Rajnesh Singh has refuted the lack of staff. He mentioned that armed personnel, along with forest guards, will be positioned at the booths. He explained that SPOs are given responsibilities during the elections due to their local knowledge and information. They have also received training for their election duties.
Since the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections has been enforced, a total of 1868 FIRs have been registered in the state for various violations, which include illegal activities. Out of these, 140 were registered by the first phase, 768 by the second phase, and 960 have been registered up to the third phase.
