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EC deploys CRPF, RAF in Maharashtra

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Bombay

The Election Commission has ordered the deployment of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Rapid Action Force to ensure the smooth conduct of the second and final phase of polling in Maharashtra.

State Chief Electoral Officer D K Shankaran told reporters today: "Maharashtra was one of the few states where there was no violence during the [first phase of] polling. And I think there will be no problem in the second phase too.

Twenty-four Lok Sabha and 144 assembly constituencies go to the polls tomorrow. A total of 40,909 polling stations has been set up, of which 4,835 have been classified sensitive. A total of 30,638,556 voters -- 16,150,950 male and 14,487,606 female -- are expected to exercise their franchise.

There are 131 candidates for the Lok Sabha and 947 for the Vidhan Sabha. Interestingly, there are only eight female candidates for the Lok Sabha and 39 for the assembly.

Prominent politicians whose fates will be decided tomorrow include Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar (Baramati), former chief minister Manohar Joshi (Bombay North-Central), Chief Minister Narayan Rane (Malwan, assembly), and former Union finance minister Madhu Dandavate (Rajapur).

Electronic voting machines will be used in four parliamentary and 24 assembly constituencies, all of them in Bombay.

Shankaran denied reports of rigging in the Renapur assembly constituency on September 5 from where Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde is seeking re-election.

He admitted that the unusually high turnout of 73 per cent in the constituency had made people doubt the fairness of the poll. "But I have personally seen the matter and there has been no rigging," he added.

Asked why police patrolling has been increased in many parts of Bombay, Shankaran said, "It is being done to build confidence among the people so that they can come out and vote freely."

He added that there are many sensitive polling booths in Bombay City and suburbs and so the police are taking extra precautions.

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