Bhubaneswar:The Election Commission of India (ECI) will deploy 102 companies of central armed police forces (CAPFs) for the second phase of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Odisha on May 20, an official said on Saturday. Incidents of violence have been reported from Ganjam and Bolangir districts ahead of voting.
Voting will be held in Aska, Bargarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal and Sundargarh Lok Sabha seats and 35 assembly constituencies falling under these parliamentary seats on Monday. State Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal said that the highest of 22 companies of central forces would be deployed in Maoist-affected Kandhamal district, followed by Ganjam (20), Sundargarh (16), 14 each in Bargarh and Bolangir, five each in Jharsuguda and Boudh, four in Sonepur and two in Nayagarh.
One company of CAPF comprises around 100 personnel. So, 102 companies would amount to 10,200 personnel. A total of 79.69 lakh voters, including 39.35 lakh women and 851 transgender persons, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 9,162 polling stations. Of the total electorate, nearly 24 per cent are aged below 30 years, he said, adding there were 975 women for every 1,000 men.
Out of the 9,162 polling stations, 1,541 will be model polling stations, while 1,041 will be managed by all-woman personnel while 25 will be run by PwD officials. Nearly 20 per cent of the 9,162 polling stations have been identified as critical, including those in Maoist-hit areas, he said. A total of 265 MLA and 40 MP aspirants are in the fray, the CEO said, adding the EC has appointed 10 general observers, 15 expenditure observers and three police observers for this phase of the polls.