Polling activities at more than 3,000 vulnerable booths in Jharkhand will go live during the four-phase parliamentary elections in the state, beginning from April 29, said officials at the Chief Electoral Office, Jharkhand, on Tuesday.

“We have decided to provide the facility of live webcasting at remote and critical polling booths, where deploying security personnel could be a challenge. Of the total polling booths, the facility would be provided to at least 10% polling booths, which would be nearly 3,000 booths,” said additional chief electoral officer (ACEO) Vinay Kumar Choubey.

The Lok Sabha polls would be conducted in 29,464 polling stations, set up in 20,053 locations across the state. More than 2.19 crore voters would exercise their franchise in four different phases: April 29, May 6, May 12, and May 19. Vote results would come out on May 23.

Each phase will see the live webcasting from average 750 polling booths. In 2014, the facility of live webcasting was provided at about 1,000 polling booths in the three-phase parliamentary elections. “The number of booths for live webcasting is much higher this time than the previous parliamentary elections. Live webcasting would help us keep tabs on polling activities in critical booths,” said Choubey, adding that the agency that would provide the facility had also been hired.

Choubey said that district electoral officers had been entrusted with the task to identify the vulnerable booths in their respective localities where deployment of paramilitary forces would be a challenge. “We hope to get the list shortly,” he said.

The state police have decided to depute 600 companies of paramilitary and state auxiliary forces across polling booths to conduct free and fair polls. Of the total, 30% of the forces would be deployed in very sensitive booths, while 25% would be positioned across sensitive polling pockets, and the rest of the additional forces would be deployed in the remaining areas, said police officials.

As per the police, 14 districts — Khunti, Gumla, Latehar, Simdega, Bokaro, Western Singhbhum, Ranchi, Dumka, Giridih, Palamu, Garhwa, Chatra, Lohardaga, and Deoghar — are categorised as ‘most sensitive’ during the elections. The ‘sensitive’ areas are Seraikela-Kharsawan, Eastern Singhbhum, Hazaribag, Dhanbad, and Godda. The districts of Ramgarh, Pakur, Jamtara, Sahebganj, and Koderma are categorised as ‘less sensitive’ areas.

The Election Commission has also decided to video record all critical events such as filing of nomination papers by the candidates, allotment of symbols, storage of polled electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail, process of dispatching of postal ballot papers, counting of votes, and important public meetings during campaign.

Choubey said that CCTVs would be installed at important border check posts and static check points for effective monitoring and surveillance during elections.

First Published: Mar 20, 2019 09:11 IST