In riots aftermath, number of critical booths rises in Capital

NEW DELHI: The number of critical polling booths in Delhi has risen by 65 since last assembly polls, taking the total number of such polling centres to 695 with 157 booths in crime-prone northeast district alone.

According to the officials, recent cases of violence, riots and other crimes are the reason behind increase in the number of critical booths.

The CEO will install CCTV cameras inside critical booths and will keep a close watch through web-casting to deter people from indulging in any wrongdoing on polling day.

“This time we have divided sensitive booths into two categories low critical and high critical. There are a total of 695 sensitive booths which includes 522 low critical and 173 high critical booths. A booth is made sensitive on various parameters classified by the Election Commission,” said Delhi’s chief electoral officer Chandra Bhushan Kumar.

Official claims if a polling centre has witnessed abnormally high or low voting or a party has secured abnormally high votes in the past, it is declared critical. Polling booths are also declared critical if violence has been witnessed in the area in the past. Areas which are expenditure sensitive and close boarder area are also declared critical. Special care of such centres is taken and extra force is deployed.