The Election Commission of India (ECI) has requested 3.4 lakh Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel for deployment in a phased manner during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim. The EC has also asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to ensure adequate rolling stock with all necessary facilities in trains, ensuring hassle-free mobilization and timely movement of the forces to perform election duties.
According to the EC, the chief electoral officers of all states and Union territories have requested the deployment of CAPFs for poll-related duties, including area domination, confidence-building measures, poll day-related duties, guarding of electronic voting machines (EVMs), strong room centers, and counting center security during the elections.
The commission has considered the requests made by the state CEOs and decided to deploy a maximum of around 3,400 companies of CAPFs in all states and Union territories in a phased manner to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections, the communication said. A maximum of 920 companies of CAPFs are expected to be deployed in West Bengal in a phased manner, followed by 635 companies in Jammu and Kashmir, 360 companies in Chhattisgarh, 295 companies in Bihar, 252 companies in Uttar Pradesh, and 250 companies each in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab.
The CAPFs include the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and National Security Guard (NSG).