NewKerala.com

Puducherry Police Set Up 35 Checkposts, Use Drones for Election Security

Puducherry Police have intensified security measures for the upcoming assembly elections on April 9 by setting up 35 checkposts and using flying squads. They are employing drone surveillance and a social media monitoring cell to prevent malpractices, having already seized large quantities of liquor and cash. The electoral battle features the NDA alliance, led by the AINRC, against the INDIA bloc, primarily Congress and DMK. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

Key Points: Puducherry Police Tighten Security with 35 Checkposts for Polls

  • 35 checkposts established
  • Drone surveillance catches cash distribution
  • 2600 litres of liquor seized
  • Social media being monitored 24/7
2 min read

Puducherry Police gear up for elections; 35 checkposts set up to monitor vehicle movement

Puducherry Police establish 35 checkposts, flying squads, and drone surveillance to ensure fair assembly elections on April 9. Liquor, cash seized.

"We are strictly monitoring the movement of persons and vehicles. - R Kalaivanan"

By Mohd Amir, Puducherry, April 2

Puducherry Police has tightened the security, setting up 35 checkposts to monitor the movement of persons and vehicles for the fair conduction of assembly polls.

Speaking with ANI, R Kalaivanan, SSP, Puducherry, Law and Order, said, "Puducherry is having an election on the 9th of April, and for this, we have done all the preparatory measures. Around 35 checkposts have been established in Puducherry. We are strictly monitoring the movement of persons and vehicles."

"Apart from this, we are also having flying squads; 3 flying squads in each assembly constituency. We are monitoring 24/7, and we are also using drone surveillance," he added.

Puducherry police have caught nearly 2600 litres of liquor, and banned tobacco products and around 3kg of gold have been seized by the police.

"We have also formed a social media monitoring cell; we are closely monitoring all the social media pages and posts.

Through drone surveillance, we found 2 cases of distribution of cash; we have caught and registered cases and arrested those people," R Kalaivanan said.

Voting in Puducherry will take place on April 9. The counting of votes will be held on May 4, the ECI announced. The current term of the 30-member legislative assembly of the Union Territory is set to expire on June 15.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) includes the All India N R Congress (AINRC) led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, which is contesting 16 assembly constituencies, the BJP contesting 10 seats, and both the AIADMK and LJK, each contesting two seats.

The INDIA bloc includes Congress, which is contesting 16 assembly constituencies, and the DMK, contesting 14 seats. VCK, which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu, has decided to contest on three assembly seats in Puducherry independently after being offered only one.

In the 2021 Puducherry assembly elections, AINRC emerged as the largest party with 10 seats, followed by DMK with six seats, while BJP and Congress won six seats each. The voter turnout was recorded at 84.8 per cent.

While in the 2016 elections, Congress had secured a majority with 15 seats, AINRC won eight seats, AIADMK bagged four seats, and DMK got two seats, with voter turnout at 83.6 per cent.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
2600 litres of liquor and 3kg gold seized? This shows the scale of the problem. While the police action is commendable, we need stricter laws to prevent this flow of cash and liquor during elections in the first place. It's a never-ending cycle.
V
Vikram M
Setting up 35 checkposts is a massive operation. Respect to the police force for working 24/7. As a citizen, I just hope these checks are conducted smoothly without causing too much inconvenience to common people going about their daily work.
A
Ananya R
The use of technology like drones and social media cells is a step in the right direction. However, I hope this monitoring respects privacy and isn't used for any kind of profiling or harassment. The focus should solely be on electoral offenses.
K
Karthik V
Interesting alliance math here. AINRC+BJP vs Congress+DMK. Puducherry always has close contests. Hope the security measures ensure that the result truly reflects the people's mandate and not the influence of money or muscle power. All the best to the EC and police.
M
Michael C
Observing from outside, the scale of Indian elections is always impressive. 35 checkposts for one Union Territory shows the commitment to security. The voter turnout numbers mentioned (over 84%) are also remarkable compared to many Western democracies.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50