Elaborate security measures for final phase of polls in Bihar

Amid Maoists' threats, elaborate security arrangements are being made to ensure free and fair polls during the sixth and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in the six parliamentary constituencies in Bihar on May 12.
"We are deploying 142 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF), 74 companies of Bihar Military Police (BMP), 26,761 district armed police personnel and over 9,000 homeguard jawans across the six constituencies to ensure peaceful polling," Bihar Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Sinha said here today.
The CPMF are from BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, CISF, RPF and Madhya Pradesh SAF. Altogether 58,000 security personnel will guard this phase and armed jawans will be posted at every polling location, he said.

The six constituencies - Vaishali, Siwan, Gopalganj, East Champaran, West Champaran, Valmikinagar - going to elections in this phase face Maoist threat, while a few of them share borders with Nepal and Uttar Pradesh.
Of the six constituencies - Valmikinagar, East Champaran and West Champaran are located along the Indo-Nepal border. Valmikinagar, West Champaran, Gopalganj and Siwan share border with Uttar Pradesh as well.
"Our officials are meeting with Nepal and Uttar Pradesh officials. Their officers are providing full cooperation to us," Sinha said.
'Diara' (riverine) areas spread over the six constituencies are coming under special attention. Seven units of mounted police, 36 motorboats, 370 motorcycles are being pressed to patrol across these sparsely populated and lawless areas.

Earlier, the Bihar Police took preventive action against 3.54 lakh people to ensure trouble-free and smooth polling. Of these 1.74 lakh people had to fill bonds, while 52,518 had been arrested across the state, he said.