Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 14: Authorities have deployed 166 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) apart from over 10,000 police personnel for high profile Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency that goes to polls on April 17. Campaigning in the constituency will end at 6 pm tomorrow.
Over 500 security personnel and polling staff were today airlifted for 37 polling booths in remote areas of Inshan, Warwan and Dachan, all falling in Kishtwar Assembly segment.
Official sources told the Excelsior that nearly 160 Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) have been deployed in sensitive areas of the constituency including border areas of Kathua district and militancy infested belts in Udhampur-Reasi and Doda-Ramban range of police to meet with any eventuality on the eve or day of polling.
The Election Commission has set up 2051 polling stations for 14,34,759 electorates in Udhampur-Doda constituency, which was based on 17 Assembly segments including 5 in Kathua district, 3 each in Udhampur and Reasi districts and two each in Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts.
The constituency was witnessing triangular contest among Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Dr Jitendra Singh (BJP) and Arshad Malik (PDP) though a total of 13 candidates are in the fray.
Sources said over 370 security forces and police personnel and about 160 polling staff members were today airlifted from Kishtwar town to 10 remote polling stations of Inshan, 13 Warwan and 14 Dachan in Kishtwar Assembly segment. All 37 booths were inaccessible by road and, therefore, authorities had decided to airlift the security personnel and polling staff there.
SSP Kishtwar Sanjay Kotwal said elaborate security arrangements have been made in sensitive district with deployment of adequate number of CAPFs and local police. The deployment was complete, he added.
Sources said authorities have deployed maximum available para-military forces and police in communally sensitive Kishtwar district, which comprised two Assembly segments of Kishtwar and Inderwal as Kishtwar had witnessed clashes during Eid festival on August 9 last year leading to three killings and massive loss of property of minorities.
Reliable sources said 45 companies of CAPFs and over 3000 police personnel would man the polling in Kishtwar district, where some militants were still active though they were lying low. Kishtwar district has 225 polling stations, majority of which have been declared as critical and sensitive.
Sources said 45 companies of CAPFs, 75 companies of police and 50 QRTs have been deployed in Udhampur and Reasi districts, which have taken positions at sensitive areas. The deployment would be complete at least two days ahead of the elections i.e. by tomorrow evening when the campaigning would come to a halt.
Fifty QRTs have been deployed in Udhampur and Reasi districts to meet with any eventuality, DIG Udhampur-Reasi range Gareeb Dass said, adding that special focus was being given to 45 hyper sensitive polling stations in Reasi district. There was no hyper sensitive polling station in Udhampur district.
The DIG said out of 762 polling stations in Udhampur and Reasi districts, 45 were hyper sensitive and 220 sensitive. Rest were normal.
SSP Doda Mohammad Sharief Chouhan said 32 polling stations in Doda district have been declared as critical and 241 sensitive.
Sources said 27 CAPFs have been deployed in two Assembly segments of Doda district including Doda and Bhaderwah.
Sources said though Kathua district based on five Assembly segments was peaceful, it was disturbed by two fidayeen attacks on September 26, 2013 and March 28, 2014 in which the militants had targeted Army and police personnel apart from civilians. A total of 13 lives were lost in the terror attacks while all six terrorists were killed by the security forces.
The Border Security Force (BSF) was maintaining a very high alert all along the International Border (IB) to thwart any infiltration attempt by the militants. Police have also been deployed in strength along with CAPFs as second line in the border areas to check infiltration.
In 2002, the militants had struck in Hiranagar on the day of polling killing nearly a dozen persons before being eliminated.
SSP Kathua Mohan Lal said37 CAPF companies have been deployed in Kathua district apart from 2000 police personnel and sufficient number of QRTs to meet with any eventuality.
The contestants on Udhampur-Doda seat included Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Dr Jitendra Singh (BJP), Mohammad Arshad Malik (PDP), Prof Bhim Singh (NPP), Dharam Pal Balgotra (BSP), Anil Gupta (JKDF-Independent), Amrit Barsha (Samajwadi Party), Jagdish Kumar (Jai Mahabharath Party), Sham Lal (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party), Girdhari Lal (Bharatiya Bahujan Party), Anil Khajuria, Bansi Lal and Nazakat Hussain, all Independents.
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