Security has been significantly beefed up across Bihar for the second phase of the assembly polls scheduled for November 11. Officials confirmed on Monday that over 4 lakh security personnel have been engaged in election duties to ensure a free and fair electoral process.
The second and final round of polling will see voting take place across 122 assembly seats at 45,399 polling stations, including 40,073 in rural areas.
💂 Massive Security Mobilization
An Election Commission official confirmed the scale of the deployment: “More than 4 lakh security personnel have been deployed in Bihar for poll duties to ensure free and fair elections.”
The mobilization includes a significant presence of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel:
- Initial Deployment: Around 500 companies (approximately 50,000 personnel) of the CAPF were initially engaged in pre-election duties.
- Subsequent Arrival: A further 500 companies of CAPF subsequently arrived in the state.
- Reinforcements: An additional 500 companies were deployed for poll duties in the third week of October.
👮 Local Forces and Other Engagements
The CAPF deployment is complemented by extensive deployment of local forces and personnel from other departments:
- Bihar Police: More than 60,000 personnel of the Bihar Police have been engaged in election duty.
- Special Forces & Reserves: This includes 30,000 personnel of the Bihar Special Armed Police and around 2,000 personnel from reserve battalions originating in other states.
- Other Personnel: Further boosting security are more than 20,000 home guards, approximately 19,000 newly recruited constables (currently undergoing training), and nearly 1.5 lakh chowkidars (rural police) engaged in poll duty for both phases.
When questioned about the designation of sensitive polling centers for the second phase, an official maintained a neutral stance, stating, “From a security point of view, all booths are equally important.”
This extensive security arrangement follows the first phase of polling across 121 assembly constituencies, which recorded the state’s “highest ever” voter turnout of over 65 per cent.