21,000 polling booths marked vulnerable

With less than a fortnight to go before polling in

Gujarat

, the state’s chief electoral officer has identified 21,000 polling booths as critical or vulnerable. Booths where violation of election procedures or violence is possible during voting have been categorized as vulnerable. There are 51,851 polling stations in the state.


The figure of 21,000 polling stations has been arrived at after a district wise rigorous scrutiny of polling stations. According to guidelines of the Election Commission of India, additional security forces and vigilance teams will be posted at these polling stations to ensure free and fair polling.

In the 2014

Lok Sabha

election in the state, there were a total of 45,383 polling stations of which 10,775 were marked as critical or vulnerable.

Vulnerable polling stations have been identified on the basis of several parameters. A polling booth that has recorded more than 90% polling is classified under vulnerable category. Similarly, if more than 75% votes are recorded in favour of any one candidate, it is classified as a vulnerable booth. Besides these, polling stations where there has been violence in the past election or where re-polling has taken place are also classified as vulnerable.

Past history of a polling station such as booth capturing, violence, rioting, large scale impersonation, caste conflicts and information about an adverse law and order situation in the area are also taken into account while determining vulnerable polling stations. Besides, complaints filed by political parties, the number of history-sheeters and absconders in the area are also factored in by the authorities before declaring booths as vulnerable.

S Murali Krishna, CEO, Gujarat said – "Paramilitary forces will be deployed in addition to the local police at all vulnerable polling stations in the state. Web-casting, digital videography and photography will be done at all the critical or vulnerable booths. By and large, elections in Gujarat are peaceful, but we are taking all measures to ensure free and fair polls."