NEW DELHI, Feb 25 — Personnel of Nagaland Armed Police (NAP) stormed the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Zunheboto district on the eve of elections as elaborate security arrangements were made today in Tripura, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh for tomorrow's Assembly polls, reports PTI.
About 100 men of the 8 NAP battalion stationed at Naltoga on the outskirts of the town gheraoed the DC's office last night on suspicion that their postal ballots for the polls were being tampered. They detained 20 staff members for about eight hours over the inadequate number of postal ballots by the district election office. The police personnel ransacked the office premises damaging furniture, windows, vehicles and poll-releated materials.
In Agartala, over 53,000 security personnel, including CRPF, Assam Rifles, BSF and Tripura Police, have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling. Sixty five BSF companies, including 19 additional companies, were deployed along the 856 km Indo-Bangla international border to abort any attempt by insurgents, having base camps in Bangladesh, to enter the state on the eve of the elections. Helicopters have been pressed into service to maintain vigil in the insurgency prone parts of the State.
About 124 polling stations have been declared “hyper-sensitive” and 353 “very sensitive.” Over 45,000 police, para-military and army personnel have been deployed to ensure peaceful polls in Nagaland. Out of a total of 1,583 polling stations, 475 were identified as hyper-sensitive, and 590 as sensitive in the State.
In Himachal Pradesh, around 1,000 para-military personnel and 13,000 police and Home Guards have been deployed to ensure free and fair polls. Balloting will be held for 65 assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh and 60 each in the three northeastern States. Polling for three snow-bound constituencies--Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur and Pangi Bharmaur – has been deferred to June eight.