EC to deploy 7 choppers during elections in Jharkhand

Around 7 choppers will be pressed into service during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand scheduled to be held on April 10.
The choppers would air-drop polling personnel of three cluster - Tal, Sarsot and Chak, Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner of Palamau Kripanand Jha and SP Y S Ramesh said.
The helicopters will provide services in other constituencies going to poll on April 10 and will also be deployed for security reasons in naxal-affected Palamau district, they said.
Besides Palamau, the voting will be held in sensitive constituencies like Chatra, Lohardaga and Koderma during the first phase of the three-phase elections in the state on April 10, they said.

Out of the total 1322 polling booths, Jha said, 500 booths have been identified as hyper-sensitive and 600 sensitive.
"We have made an adequate security arrangements to ensure free and fair elections in the district, Ramesh said, adding that the district administration would deploy adequate security personnel in all booths to inculcate confidence among the voters.

Two companies of Border Security Force personnel would also be deployed to maintain law and order during the polling, he said.
The district administration have also sought help of NCC and Home Guard personnel to maintain decorum at the election booths, Jha said.
Meanwhile, a special team have been engaged to look for IEDs planted by the ultra outfit under 22 police station areas of the extremism-hit district.

Altogether seven cases of violation of model code of conduct have been lodged in the district so far, they said.