6 companies of paramilitary forces to be deployed in Shahkot bypoll

Six companies of paramilitary forces will be deployed during Shahkot bypoll on May 28 to ensure free and fair polling, an official release said today.

A decision to this effect was taken in a high-level meeting to review the security arrangements for the bypoll.

The meeting was chaired by General Observer Ravi Kant Jain, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma and Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar here, the release said.

"In order to ensure peaceful, free and fair polling during the ensuing Shahkot by-election, six companies of para military forces will be deployed at the polling booths on May 28," it said.

During the meeting, it was decided that the force will be deployed at the polling booths along with the state police.

The paramilitary force will reach Shahkot on May 20.

Besides, six static surveillance teams and three flying squad teams have been constituted for keeping a strict vigil over law and order situation in the segment.

Likewise, it was decided that at around 100 locations, web casting would be done by the Election Commission to keep strict vigil over the entire election process, the release said.

It was also decided that around 50 micro observers would also be deployed during the poll day to ensure that polling was conducted in a smooth, peaceful and transparent manner.

Shahkot bypoll was necessitated following the death of Akali MLA Ajit Singh Kohar.

Last week, a delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat in Delhi and appealed to him to provide a senior officer to overlook the bypoll, and deploy paramilitary forces to ensure a free and fair election.