At least 30 additional companies of paramilitary forces will be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir besides the already present 60 battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to ensure free and fair parliamentary polls in the state.
“30 additional paramilitary companies will be deployed in the state for election duties during the poll days,” CRPF spokesman in Srinagar Prabhakar Tripathi said. At least 60 battalions of the CRPF are presently deployed for counter insurgency measures.
Tripathi said the additional companies would include BSF and CRPF companies. “These would be deployed on the poll days to ensure free and fair Lok Sabha polls in the state”.
There will be five-phase polling for six parliamentary seats in the state beginning from April 10 for Jammu-Poonch parliamentary seat.
The CRPF spokesman said polling booths in the state would be managed by paramilitary forces and they were holding regular meetings with police officials about poll preparations and security arrangements.
A high-level meeting of top police and paramilitary officers, recently, reviewed poll preparedness and deployment of forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
Special Director General of Police, K Rajendra Kumar while chairing the meeting had said the security arrangements for polling booths should be put in place keeping in view the sensitiveness of the area.
“Besides maintaining law and order during the election campaigning, security of the candidates should be focused on priority so that people could participate freely in democratic process”.