Chennai: At least 23,000 state police personnel, along with 31 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), have been deployed at polling stations across the city to maintain law and order and prevent poll-related offences.
Security Arrangements
Commissioner Abin Dinesh Modak stated that 199 vulnerable locations and 918 vulnerable polling stations have been identified in the city, along with four critical locations and seven critical polling stations. Additional CAPF units from Telangana and Karnataka have also been mobilised to strengthen security.
Police personnel were assigned to stations through a computerised random selection process after campaigning ended at 6pm on Tuesday. A total of 491 mobile patrol teams have been deployed to collect Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from 21 distribution centres and transport them to polling stations. These teams will be responsible for the machines until they are returned after polling and secured in strongrooms at designated centres.
Vulnerability Mapping
Election authorities carried out vulnerability mapping based on past incidents, voting patterns, and intelligence inputs. Officials identified vulnerable voters and areas, traced people responsible for potential intimidation or undue influence, and initiated preventive measures. Polling stations were categorised as critical or non-critical for security deployment and webcasting.
Stations with more than 90% turnout, and those where 75% of votes were polled in favour of a single candidate in the last election, have been classified as sensitive. Stations with less than 10% turnout and those where repolling or election-related violence was reported in the past five years were also flagged. At vulnerable polling booths, four armed CAPF personnel were deployed outside the premises.
Additional Measures
To ensure smooth conduct of elections, mobile patrol teams will monitor the movement of EVMs and polling personnel. The deployment of CAPF units from neighbouring states underscores the commitment to a free and fair electoral process. Authorities have urged citizens to cooperate with security personnel and report any suspicious activity.
