LS polls: 1.2 lakh paramilitary to be deployed

, Jan 29: Given the importance of the Lok Sabha polls this year, the centre has deployed approximately 1.2 lakhs paramilitary personnel to avoid any unfavourable situation. The state police is also likely to be engaged for the high-profile multi-phased Lok Sabha polls that are likely to be held in April-May 2014.

To be held over 5-6 phases, the polls have been given high attention by the Home Ministry, which has said that there would not be any loopholes in terms of security to ensure peaceful voting in the General elections.

The state police is also likely to be engaged for the high-profile LS Polls

Preparations are underway for mobilising the forces and it has been decided that the forces will be shifted from state to state in chronological order of the election dates. For this, the Home Minister has taken the help of the Railway Ministry. The Central Paramilitary forces are likely to assist the state police in maintaining the Law and Order till the counting of the ballots. Thy have also been trained to keep the EVM machines safe.

Sources, however, said that personnel deployed in Naxal areas, in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states would not be relocated.

Apart from the Lok Sabha elections, Assembly elections are also likely to be held in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.

With over 800 million voters and 8 lakh polling booths, maintaining security and peace is likely to be a big issue. Hence the chief electoral officers of various states are holding independent meetings with their DGPs to check the availability of state police during the polls.

The present government should be dissolved by June 1 and the new government should be constituted by May 31.

Oneindia News