Odisha Elections 2024: Prior Permission Mandatory For Victory Rally, Says DGP

Bhubaneswar: In order to maintain law and order and prevent any violent incident after announcement of results of dual elections on Tuesday, the Odisha Police has made it mandatory for taking its prior permission for victory procession.

Speaking to media on Monday, director general of police (DGP) Arun Sarangi said tight security has been enforced in each counting centre to ensure peaceful conclusion of the process and the direction of the Election Commission of India in this regard will be followed strictly.

“One company of Central forces has been deployed in each of 69 counting centres located across the state and two companies in sensitive areas. One to two companies of State Armed Police have also been mobilised for each counting centre. Besides, the district SP concerned would look after the security of the counting centre from their own resources,” he added.

The DGP said any party or candidate has to take prior permission for bringing out victory procession. Permission for use of public announcement system and firecrackers has been made mandatory, he added.

Sarangi said adequate precautionary measures have been taken to prevent any kind of violent incident after the elections. In anticipation of violence in Ganjam district, around 120 anti-social persons have already been arrested. All the districts have been directed to promptly respond to any violent incident and take stern action against the perpetrators, he added.

On the violence during the polling, he said all the four phases of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections have been completed without any law and order problem due to tireless efforts of all police officials including IG, DIG, district SPs, gramrakhis and home guards. “There were stray incidents of violence during the elections that were held over a long span of time and repolling was held only in two booths due to disturbances,” he said.

In reply to a question on Maoist threat, the DGP said the first Maoist related violence during the elections in the state was reported in Rayagada district in 1998. At the time, the Maoists had attacked a mobile party of ecurity forces and a havildar was killed. Since then, the Maoists have resorted to violence in almost every elections.

“The Maoists used to target the candidates and police personnel and destroyed the EVMs in some places. They were not even allowing the election teams to reach the polling stations. As a result, the voters were afraid of going to booths to cast their votes and the turnout was very low. But 2024 elections were held without any Maoist violence across the state,” he said.

He further said Odisha Police has been successful in its drive to control the Maoist menace for the last few years. “We were engaged in an anti-Maoist operation for four months before the elections in all suspected areas. There were also encounters with the Maoists and 13 incidents of exchange of fire with their cadres. Four Maoists were killed in the encounters and several of them have been arrested while others have surrendered. As a result, the Maoists could not regroup themselves to execute their plans to disrupt the elections,” the DGP said.