Poll-bound states to get 60K forces
With the Assembly elections due in five states in the coming months, the Centre is expected to deploy nearly 60,000 paramilitary personnel, in addition to police forces, for the smooth conduct of the polls.
After reviewing the security situation of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram, the Union home ministry has conveyed to the Election Commission that it was ready to provide the required number of security personnel for the forthcoming polls.
“Around 58 to 60 battalions of paramilitary forces will be required for election duties in the five states,” a home ministry official said. A battalion comprises around 1,000 personnel.
The MHA is alert to the possibility of Naxals trying to step up violence in LWE-affected states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh where polling is likely to be held in phases.
Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath along with two election commissioners H.S. Brahma and Nasim Zaidi had already held a meeting with Union home secretary Anil Goswami and other senior officers to discuss the issue.
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