Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110758570100.htm

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Central forces to be on guard duty at polling booths: EC

J. Balaji

‘Achuthanandan’s remarks not correct’
‘District deployment plan finalised by Observer’

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday made it clear that the Central Police Forces (CPF) would be on guard duty at the polling stations for Saturday’s byelections in Kannur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha Assembly constituencies to ensure a free and fair election. The EC said that the forces would not be “confined to barracks.” The CPF would even escort the polled EVMs (electronic voting machines) to the strong rooms and guard them.

Referring to media reports quoting Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and others as stating that the CPF would be confined to the barracks and would not be deployed at the polling stations on the poll day, an EC note said: “this is not correct.”

The EC decided to depute the CPF on the basis of inputs it had received from multiple sources, including its observers, and the assessment of ground realities. Based on this, the Union Home Ministry was asked to provide the requisite police forces.

Once these forces were deputed to the Commission, it was the EC which decided as to where and in what manner they could be deployed.

Once drafted by the Commission, all police forces whether State or Central, stood deputed to the EC. This was a time-tested practice, the note said.

The actual district deployment plan was finalised by the Commission’s Observer in-charge of the constituency in consultation with the District Election Officer and the Superintendent of Police.

Once finalised by the Observer, the plan could not be modified or deviated from, without the prior written approval of the Observer.

The EC’s instructions specified that unless the deployment of CPF as envisaged in the plan was implemented and the CPF stationed itself at the assigned polling station, the poll would not commence.

The Commission had made all arrangements for a free and fair poll in Kerala, the EC said. The additional enrolment of voters and deletions had been verified by door-to-door visits, and the list of registered voters, who were found to be absent, shifted or dead during such verification had been identified polling station-wise.