KK Soan in Ranchi on Wednesday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Dec. 22: The administration is all set to garrison four blocks of the district — Tamar, Bundu, Sonahatu and Rahe — where panchayat elections will be held in the fifth and final phase on December 24.

Superintendent of police (rural) Michaelraj S. today told reporters: “As many as 45 companies of security personnel, including 35 companies of central paramilitary forces comprising CRPF and BSF jawans, two companies of Jharkhand Jaguar, a company of India Reserve Battalion and two companies of Bihar Military Police will be deployed to ensure free and fair elections in the district.”

Addressing a joint press conference with deputy commissioner K.K. Soan, the SP added that jawans of district armed police and Jharkhand home guard would also keep vigil during the polls.

“The number of security personnel has been increased for the last phase in the district as all four blocks are Naxalite-affected,” he said.

Michaelraj pointed out that the number of security forces had been almost doubled, compared to their numbers in the first four phases of the rural polls in the district.

Soan supported the move, adding that the security personnel had reached the places where they had been deputed.

The last phase of election will cover 569 wards across the four blocks.

As many as 1,98,059 voters are expected to decide the fate of more than 2,400 candidates vying for the posts of mukhiya and ward, panchayat samiti and zilla parishad members. The administration has also set up 568 polling stations in 405 buildings. Of these, 295 stations have been identified as supersensitive.