Security stepped up at polling stations
More than 13,000 polling staff on Tuesday took positions at 3,500 polling stations set up across 26 assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, where voting will be held Wednesday in the second phase polls in the union territory.
The security forces personnel comprising police, armed police and central armed paramilitary forces left for the polling stations early morning, the officials said.
They said a multi-tier security blanket has been thrown around each polling station to ensure the voting for the second phase is held in an atmosphere free of fear.
"As the second phase of voting will take place tomorrow (Wednesday), we have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure that the maximum number of people exercise their right to vote," a senior police official said.
The strong rooms -- where the electronic voting machines will be kept after the close of polls Wednesday -- have been secured and will be kept under round-the-clock digital surveillance.
A poll official said all the polling stations will have a webcasting facility as part of EC's efforts to ensure transparency in the polls.
