As many as 34 companies of Central armed police forces (CAPFs) have been deployed in Puducherry ahead of the Assembly election on Tuesday.
ANI reported that the Election Commission had constituted 105 flying squads and 105 static surveillance teams as well as video surveillance specialists to monitor the polls.
As many as 1,558 polling stations—952 main and 606 auxiliary stations—have been set up at 635 locations in Puducherry. ANI reported the Election Commission has restricted to 1,000 the number of electors per station.
Purva Garg, district collector of Puducherry, had informed that polling hours would be from 7am to 7pm, with the last hour meant for COVID-19 patients to cast their votes.
Section 144 was imposed in Puducherry ahead of polling. Interestingly on Sunday, the Madras High Court had expressed dissatisfaction with the imposition of prohibitory orders in Puducherry.
In an urgent hearing on Sunday, a division bench of justices Sanjib Banerjee and Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy asked the Election Commission to clarify that prohibition of unlawful assembly and movement would not hinder citizens going about their normal work.
"Every citizen in a free country can do anything lawful that the citizen chooses and even the slightest of restriction on the citizens’ movement has to be justified. In the case, the notice of March 22, 2021 (on imposition of prohibitory orders), is singularly lacking in indicating any cogent reason for imposing restrictions on citizens’ movement and how citizens may choose to go about their business,” India Legal quoted the Madras High Court bench as saying.
Following the High Court directive, Garg clarified the prohibitory orders would not affect normal life in Puducherry.
“It is made abundantly clear that the prohibition of unlawful assembly and movement in terms of the relevant order will not affect the usual life of citizens as they go about their business and chores. The prohibition… shall not deter friends and family congregating together to go to vote and celebrate the festival of democracy in proper spirit,” Garg was quoted as saying by The Hindu
