The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to deploy 3.4 lakh Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel along with State police forces in the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly polls in four States beginning April 19, officials said.
A maximum of 92,000 personnel of CAPFs are likely to be deployed in politically volatile West Bengal, where elections will be held in all seven phases, followed by 63,500 personnel in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, where polling will be held in five phases. As many as 36,000 personnel will be deployed in Naxal-affected Chhattisgarh, where polling will be held in three phases.
The ECI has considered the requests made by the State CEOs and decided to deploy a maximum of around 3,400 companies of the CAPFs in all States and Union Territories in a phased manner to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections, an official privy to the development said.
