Chennai, Apr 22:
Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled for April 23, an unprecedented security apparatus has been put in place across the State, with nearly 1.47 lakh police personnel deployed to ensure peaceful and incident-free voting.
Tamil Nadu, which has an electorate of over 5.73 crore voters, will see polling conducted across 75,032 booths. Of these, 5,938 booths spread over 3,022 locations have been identified as sensitive and are under heightened surveillance.
Armed paramilitary forces and specialised State police units have been stationed in these areas to prevent any untoward incidents.
In addition to the State police, around 23,000 paramilitary personnel from 295 companies have been deployed.
The security grid also includes over 26,000 inspectors and sub-inspectors, along with more than 94,000 constables and head constables. Further strengthening the arrangements, over 12,000 special commando personnel have been assigned to election duty.
Security measures span all 38 districts and extend to seven major city police jurisdictions, including Chennai. Authorities have also identified 6,300 vulnerable areas, where intensified monitoring, patrolling, and preventive measures are being carried out.
On polling day, 514 vehicles equipped with rapid response teams will be deployed for continuous surveillance across the State.
Additionally, more than 1,100 vehicles carrying senior police officials, including DIGs and IGs, will remain on standby to respond swiftly to any emergencies and maintain law and order.
Special attention has been given to 118 constituencies flagged for high cash movement, with increased vigilance and enhanced police presence to curb electoral malpractices.
With these extensive and multi-layered arrangements in place, authorities aim to ensure a safe, free, and fair electoral process for millions of voters participating in one of Tamil Nadu’s most crucial elections.