Hyderabad: Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivdhar Reddy said that the polling for the municipal elections in Telangana was conducted peacefully on Wednesday, February 11.
Of the 8,203 polling stations across the state, 1,302 were identified as hyper-sensitive, 1,926 as sensitive and 4,975 as general polling stations. Security forces were deployed based on the vulnerability assessment of each location.
Addressing a press conference held at the Telangana Election Commission office, the DGP said that the webcasting system enabled real-time monitoring of polling stations across Telangana.
“Continuous surveillance through cameras, coupled with effective field deployment of police personnel, ensured that law and order was maintained throughout the polling process,” Reddy said.
He lauded the dedication and professionalism of the police force, as well as the effective use of modern webcasting technology, which contributed significantly to the peaceful conduct of the elections. The DGP informed that stringent security arrangements were made for the elections.
“3,000 additional personnel were mobilized from the Police Department and other departments, including TGSP, Forest, Excise, CID and Legal Metrology, to strengthen security arrangements and maintain law and order,” Reddy said.
Police assistance to the elderly
The DGP said that elderly and differently-abled voters were assisted by the police at polling stations across Telangana.
“In Nizamabad, Commissioner of Police P Sai Chaitanya; in Nalgonda, District SP Sarath Chandra Pawar; in Wanaparthy, SP Sunitha Reddy; and in Peddapelli, DCP B Ram Reddy ensured that elderly and differently-abled voters were provided wheelchair assistance to cast their votes,” he said.
Reddy also said that in Mulugu, personnel of the Fourth Battalion, deployed on municipal election duty, provided first aid to a voter who fainted and promptly shifted him to a hospital. They also assisted elderly voters in reaching polling stations and casting their votes.
Similarly, in Ralakatwa village under Jinnaram Mandal in Sangareddy district, police personnel arranged transportation for elderly voters in autos to enable them to exercise their franchise.
In the Mahabubabad district, police personnel took care of the young children of voters at polling stations, allowing parents to cast their votes without inconvenience.
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