Over 10,000 security personnel deployed in Noida, Greater Noida for Lok Sabha Elections

Over 10,000 security personnel will secure Noida and Greater Noida even as drone cameras would be deployed for vigilance in Gautam Buddh Nagar, which goes to Lok Sabha poll on Thursday. Spread across Noida, Jewar, Dadri, Khurja and Sikandrabad assembly segments, the constituency has 22.97 lakh voters.

There will be a total of 2,395 polling booths, including 163 critical polling stations, election officials said. District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh said all voters should go out and vote without any fear and pressure.

"Ample security arrangements are in place and flag marches have been conducted across the constituency to ensure law and order during the election," he was quoted as saying in a statement.

In a warning to anti-social elements, he said, "If anybody is found obstructing the poll process in any manner, strictest action would be taken against them by the administration and the police."

Gautam Buddh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said the entire district has been divided into 122 sectors and 20 zones in terms of deployment of security forces, he added.

"Over 10,000 security personnel, including those from police, PAC and paramilitary forces, will be deployed in the constituency. Additional police force from other districts has also arrived here," he told PTI.

"Thirteen drone cameras will be put on use to monitor ground activities at various sensitive locations," Krishna said.

According to police, any individual carrying more than Rs 50,000 cash would be required to present an evidence for the money.

Police have also appealed to the people to report to them any incident of cash or liquor distribution during the poll process for action.

There are 12 candidates, including two independent nominees, in the fray. BJP's Mahesh Sharma has returned with accounts of his development work, the Congress is hoping a young Arvind Kumar Singh would regain a seat it had lost in the 1980s while the BSP's Satveer Nagar, a rural favourite, is being backed by the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party as a coalition face.

The Lok Sabha seat is spread across Noida, Dadri, Jewar, Khurja and Sikandrabad assembly segments, with the last two technically falling in Bulandshahr district.

Of the 22.97 lakh voters, 6.68 are in the mixed-crowd, urban Noida, and the rest in the remaining four rural segments.

Total male voters are 12.63 lakh, female 10.34 lakh and 133 others. In 2014, the overall voter turnout in the district was 60 per cent, less than the national average of 66.30 per cent.

Voting would begin at 7 am and continue till 6 pm, district election officials said.