Kolhapur: The police department has identified a total of 558 sensitive villages for the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections in Kolhapur range and a total of 25,000 police personnel will be deployed for election duty.The Kolhapur range includes Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara along with Solapur rural and Pune rural districts. The maximum number of sensitive villages are from Pune rural (190) followed by Kolhapur (118), Satara (114), Solapur rural (66) and Sangli district (40). According to police officials, the police staff will tour their respective areas with 892 vehicles and will be in touch with each other through 722 wireless sets and 283 walkie talkies.Vishwas Nangre Patil, special inspector general of Kolhapur Range, said, "The two days before the polling date and after counting of votes is very sensitive and crucial. The police department has to remain alert all the time during this period to ensure no untoward incident takes place. This is also the time when different types of activities are organised to lure voters to vote for a particular candidate."He added, "At this time the role of police becomes important and we have to keep a watch on every activity that is going on in villages, note down minute details, take preventive action to avoid any kind of illegal practice and ensure that voting process takes place in a free and fair environment."Patil said that during Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, there is a tough fight between candidates and the rivalry between political parties surfaces in villages which may pose threat to law and order situation during campaigning."Keeping this in mind we have already increased patrolling in villages and have kept focus on politically sensitive villages to ensure that peace prevails till the voting is finished and results are announced. We have also launched combing operation and surprise drills at various villages and the drive will continue till the results are announced," he said."The orders have been issued to respective superintendent of police of the districts from Kolhapur Range to ensure that the law order is maintained and all the police staff should be on ground," Patil added.

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