Chennai: City police commissioner A.K. Viswanathan and district election officer D. Karthikeyan on Wednesday reviewed the security arrangements in poll-bound RK Nagar. “Two special control rooms have been opened to monitor the law and order situation in RK Nagar and 13 people arrested so far for violating the model code of conduct”, city police commissioner Viswanathan told reporters.
As on date, there are 2,000 police personnel manning RK Nagar and additional companies of paramilitary force are also guarding the constituency. Further flying squads and static surveillance teams are fanned out across the constituency to address poll complaints, the commissioner said, adding 77 vehicles have been seized for entering RK Nagar without valid permission. Corporation commissioner D. Karthikeyan said all the 256 polling booths and the strong rooms are under surveillance and poll works are progressing as per schedule.
Both the police and the corporation commissioners also reviewed the logistical arrangements in place for counting.
According to district election office sources functionaries and cadres of all political parties are under scanner and vehicles are allowed to enter RK Nagar, only after thorough checking. Further the chief electoral officer, Rajesh Lakhoni, has written to private cab services in Chennai warning that their vehicles would be seized if found campaigning in RK Nagar. The poll officials have also instructed the ground staff to intensify the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) campaign and a series of awareness programmes are to be conducted for the next three days.
Meanwhile, the poll officials on Wednesday continued the distribution of booth slips and had issued permission for 175 vehicles to be used for campaigning purposes in RK Nagar.
