LS Polls 2024: 60,000 personnel, drones, cameras to ensure peaceful polls in Delhi

With 60,000 personnel, including 51 companies of paramilitary forces and 13,500 home guards from Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and drones and CCTV cameras, the Delhi Police is all prepared to conduct the Lok Sabha polls in the city.

The voting for all seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi is scheduled on May 25 in the second last phase of the elections. These seven seats include East Delhi, New Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi and Chandani Chowk.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (election cell) Sanjay Sehrawat told PTI that an elaborate arrangement has been made to ensure peaceful elections in the national capital.

Around 60,000 police personnel will be deployed in Delhi on the polling day and at least 33,000 of them will be guarding voting centres, DCP Sehrawat said.

"There are a total of 2,628 voting centres of which 429 are sensitive. Extra paramilitary personnel with drones and CCTV cameras will be deployed in these sensitive poll centres," he said.

The officer said that around 13,500 home guards from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and 4,000 from Delhi will also be deployed on the polling day.

Besides, the traffic police, PCR units of the Delhi Police will also keep a watch in their respective areas. Delhi has 1.52 crore voters.

Another police officer said the checking at Delhi borders will be intensified from a day before the polling. "Delhi shares its borders with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The officers are in touch with their counterparts in both the states to prevent any illegal activity," the officer said.

The Delhi Police has recovered around Rs 14 crore of unaccountable cash since the Model Code of Conduct came into force, he said. The officer said that flag march, foot march and area domination exercise to boost confidence of community and deterrence for anti-social elements have already being done in various parts of Delhi.

Special Commissioner of Police (law and order, zone II) Madhup Tewari conducted a flag march and area domination exercise in the South East District and South District, covering the areas of Jamia, Shaheen Bagh, Okhla Industrial Area, Ambedkar Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Malviya Nagar and Tigri on May 22 and 23.

"Our priority is to create a safe and conducive environment for all the voters. The flag march and area domination are part of our comprehensive strategy to prevent any untoward incidents and build trust among the residents," SCP Tewari said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (southern range) SK Jain said "voting is not just a right, but a duty of every citizen. We urge everyone to come forward and cast their vote with confidence. The police teams are working relentlessly round the clock to ensure conduct of peaceful and incident free election." He also requested voters to inform authorities in case of any electoral malpractice or inducement or any type of suspicious or illegal activities observed by them in their respective areas. The information may be given to the Delhi Police Control Room on 112, JCP Jain said.