With the third and final phase of local body elections in Telangana scheduled for Wednesday, authorities have significantly ramped up security arrangements across several sensitive districts. The police have implemented a multi-layered strategy to ensure a peaceful and incident-free voting process, which includes massive personnel deployment, the deposition of licensed weapons, and preventive legal actions against potential disruptors.
Major Police Deployment and Sensitive Stations
In a major move to maintain law and order, district administrations have identified and fortified numerous sensitive polling stations. In Nizamabad district, around 1,100 police personnel have been strategically deployed across 148 gram panchayats spanning 12 mandals. Here, authorities have marked 60 polling stations as sensitive, warranting additional security cover to prevent any untoward incidents.
The neighbouring Adilabad district has also been a focus of intense security planning. Officials there classified 33 polling stations as sensitive and deployed extra forces at these locations. As a proactive measure, the local administration identified and bound over approximately 766 individuals who were seen as potential troublemakers, legally compelling them to keep the peace.
Preventive Measures and Area Domination
Beyond sheer numbers, police are employing tactical and preventive measures. In the Armoor area, acting on specific intelligence and past records, 194 people were produced before local tahsildars in bind-over cases. This legal procedure requires individuals to furnish a bond guaranteeing good behaviour, effectively serving as a strong deterrent against election-related violence.
Furthermore, in a bid to thwart any threats from explosives, bomb detection and dog squads have been conducting thorough checks at public spaces, particularly focusing on bridges and key entry points into villages within the Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district. This area domination exercise aims to sanitize the region ahead of polling day.
Focus on Critical Locations and Weapon Control
The district of Khammam has identified 63 polling stations as critical, prompting a tailored security plan for these specific venues. A statewide directive that has been rigorously enforced requires all holders of licensed firearms to deposit their weapons with the concerned authorities. This move, initiated on police instructions, is a standard yet crucial step during elections to prevent intimidation and armed clashes.
The collective efforts across Nizamabad, Adilabad, Khammam, and Kumaram Bheem Asifabad underscore the administration's commitment to conducting free and fair local body elections. With the final phase imminent, these robust security arrangements are expected to provide a safe environment for voters to exercise their franchise without fear.
