Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Arunachal Pradesh, Pawan Kumar Sain, shed light on the preparations for the upcoming elections in the state, particularly emphasizing the importance of maintaining law and order and encouraging voter participation, in an interview with India Today.
The CEO revealed that the state election machinery has taken strict actions against habitual offenders, with 2,864 individuals bound down due to their history of creating law and order problems during previous polls.
Sain issued a stern warning, stating, "If any of them takes the law into their hands, they will be dealt with strictly as per the ECI guidelines." Additionally, the election machinery has seized 936 illegal firearms, and 24,999 licensed firearms have been deposited to date.
Sain urged citizens who have not yet deposited their firearms to do so within 4 days to avoid facing strict action.
As Arunachal Pradesh gears up for simultaneous polls for 2 Lok Sabha and 50 Assembly constituencies in the first phase on April 19, the CEO stressed the importance of voter turnout. He appealed to all eligible voters to exercise their adult franchise rights by participating in the democratic process.
Highlighting the efforts to maintain election integrity, Sain mentioned that cash and items worth more than 15 crores have been seized by flying squads. To further bolster security measures, 10 paramilitary force companies are set to arrive in the state by next week. These forces will be deployed to sensitive districts with vulnerable polling stations, where apprehensions of violence are anticipated, ensuring a secure and fair electoral environment for all.