THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state will have 62 companies (roughly 7,500 personnel) of the central armed police forces (CAPF) deployed mainly to provide security cover in trouble-prone polling booths in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. This will be in addition to personnel form the state police and specially recruited policemen who would be manning other polling stations.
According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)- Kerala Sanjay Kaul, 17 companies of CAPF are already stationed in the state and the remaining personnel would arrive soon. "In addition to their deployment in critical polling booths, the CAPF personnel will guard the polling material distribution centres, strong rooms and counting centres," the official said.
As on April 10, the state has 1,162 polling stations requiring tight security cover. There are 323 'critical' polling stations that are located in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected ares in north Kerala. Of these, 84 are in Wayanad and 82 in Malappuram districts. Another 331 booths are located in 'vulnerable' areas.
A final assessment of the security requirements of polling stations and its further classification into various categories would be taken after a high level meeting chaired by the CEO next week. The force deployment pattern would also be decided at the meeting.
"The CAPF personnel will carry out area domination operations in trouble-prone spots to send across the message that they are on the field and are equipped to tackle any poll-related law and order issue," the CEO said. This exercise will be primarily carried out in LWE-affected areas in north Kerala.
Taking into account the shortage of police personnel to be deployed in close to 25,000 polling booths across the state, special police officers would be recruited on a temporary basis. In the previous assembly election, a large number of such personnel were recruited as the number of polling booths had doubled to a little over 40,000 owing to Covid-19 related precautions.
There are provisions in the Kerala Police Act to appoint Special Police Officers on a temporary basis where large number of personnel are urgently required for maintenance of law and order. These personnel are usually recruited from among ex-servicemen and also people having experience in National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme or Student Police Cadet.