MHA provides 85,000 paramilitary personnel for poll duties

NEW DELHI: As many as 85,000 paramilitary personnel have been made available to the Election Commission for deployment in the upcoming assembly elections in five states, including in politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh, beginning February 4 rpt 4.

At a high-level meeting recently, the Union Home Ministry has committed to provide 850 companies for the polls, official sources said.

A company of paramilitary force comprises around 100 personnel.

In addition to the central forces, a few lakh personnel belonging to state police forces and home guards of the respective state will also be deployed for election duties.

The Home Ministry is accumulating 150 companies, most of them from State Armed Police forces and India Reserve Battalions, from different states for election duties. Rest of the forces will be from central paramilitary forces, the sources said.

While majority of the forces will be deployed in Uttar Pradesh, where polling will be held in seven phases, a sizeable number will also be deployed in Manipur which continues to be on edge due to a blockade on a major national highway, the sources said.

Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa will be held in single phase and Manipur in two phases from February 4 rpt 4.