Bihar: Shoot-at-sight orders against booth grabbers

The Bihar government has issued shoot at sight orders against booth grabbers during the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections on Tuesday on the directives of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polls.

Official sources said shoot at sight order was issued to ruthlessly deal against troublemakers, anti-socials and booth grabbers during polls.

The state is ready with heavy security arrangements to conduct the first phase polls in 57 assembly constituencies spread in 12 districts, mostly Naxalite affected.

Chief Secretary G S Kang said that around 90,000 men and officers of central paramilitary forces, Bihar military police and district armed police, in addition to home guards, would provide security. Indian Air Force choppers have been patrolling the skies to ward off any threat from the ultra-Left extremists.

According to state election office sources, over 1.23 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise and 13,3,38 polling stations have been set up. Besides this, aerial surveillance would be maintained by four Indian Air Force choppers to track Naxalite movement.

The state's Chief Electoral Officer N K Sinha said the Election Commission had made it clear that polling would not be held in booths where security was not provided. He said 70 per cent of the polling stations would be covered by around 43,000 central paramilitary forces and the rest by the BMP, DAP and homeguards.