On February 15, Officials have disclosed that a total of 3.40 lakh Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel are set to be deployed during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, along with assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is poised to finalize the deployment of CAPF after reviewing a proposal forwarded by the Election Commission. The proposal seeks the deployment of approximately 3,400 companies (equivalent to 3.40 lakh personnel) of paramilitary forces across all states and Union Territories in phases, ensuring the conduct of elections that are free, fair, and peaceful.
Requests for CAPF deployment for election-related duties, such as area dominance, confidence-building measures, poll day responsibilities, guarding of EVMs and strong room centers, and securing counting centers during the forthcoming general elections and assembly elections in four states—Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim—have been sent by the chief electoral officers of all states and Union Territories to the EC, according to officials familiar with the matter.
The CAPFs will be allocated and maintained at various intervals from the center.
The Election Commission’s proposal has requested a maximum of 920 CAPF companies for West Bengal, followed by 635 in Jammu and Kashmir, which will witness its first Lok Sabha elections post the abrogation of Article 370. Additionally, 360 CAPF companies are sought for deployment in Chhattisgarh during the polls, and similar requests have been made for various other states.
Decisions regarding CAPF deployment will be made by the MHA based on the availability of forces as requested by the election watchdog.
The Lok Sabha elections are anticipated to take place in April-May, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party alone will secure 370 seats, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will surpass 400 seats.
Comments 2