All five polling stations in Shaheen Bagh put under critical category: Delhi CEO

In view of the ongoing anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh, the Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the area under the "critical" category, its top official said on Wednesday, while asserting that confidence-building measures are being undertaken to reassure voters.

Addressing a press conference here, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh, said the area is under "tight vigil" and "their is no obstruction" in areas where poll activities will be conducted, and so voters would face no problems.

Singh accompanied by the district election officer and nodal police officers had visited Shaheen Bagh area on Friday to assess the situation and preparedness ahead of the assembly elections on February 8.

"In view of the ongoing protests in Shaheen Bagh, we have declared all five polling stations in the area as critical polling stations. There are about 40 booths encompassing those five stations. All these booths are therefore under critical category," Singh told reporters on Wednesday.

Besides police security, polling stations falling in the "critical category" get paramilitary cover. Activities will be monitored through webcasting, he said.

He said police forces and the election machinery are on "extra vigil" and assessing the situation all the time across the national capital.

Shaheen Bagh falls in the Okhla assembly constituency. The area has become the epicentre of anti-CAA protests in the national capital and the agitation has been thrusted by political parties into a poll issue.

Polls for the 70 assembly seats in Delhi are due on February 8 with counting of votes on February 11.

The anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh, on a stretch of a main road on the Kalindi Kunj side, have been going on for over 50 days in south Delhi. The protesters have been demanding repeal of the CAA.

Singh said security personnel carry out marches and patrolling in the area to boost confidence of voters and "I see no reason to worry".

"During my visit on Friday, the pulse I got from the local people was that there is no fear in their mind and the ongoing issue and the protests have not affected their psyche. We are quite hopeful that voters in the area will come out and exercise their franchise without any fear," he said.

The Delhi CEO also said that no complaint has been received from local people of Shaheen Bagh about any safety issue they feel would be on the polling day.

Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since December 15 at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment Act) and the National Register of Citizens.

There are 13,750 polling booths, besides one auxiliary booth, located at 2,689 locations across Delhi.

Singh said there are total 1,47,86,382 people who are eligible to vote in the Delhi polls, including 2,32,815 in age group of 18 to 19 years.

"As afar as critical polling stations are concerned, there are 516 locations and 3704 booths in that category," he said.