700 companies of CAPF of 70,000 personnel to be deployed for upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls

Gandhinagar, Nov 12: In an unprecedented move, nearly 700 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), comprising 70,000 personnel, will be deployed for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls, top government sources said.

 

 

 

 

These forces will include over 150 companies each from Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other CAPFs. A total of 162 companies, (approximately 16,200 personnel), of the CAPFs have already been deployed and the remaining forces will be deputed by the third week of this month.

 

 

 

 

 

The decisions have been taken by the Ministry Of Home Affairs (MHA) and an internal circular is expected to be moved very soon directing these CAPFs to deploy their forces, said the source, privy to the development, adding "this is an unprecedented deployment of paramilitary (or CAPFs) forces in Gujarat assembly polls ever so far". "The decision to deploy such a huge number of CAPF personnel during Gujarat Assembly elections is to ensure fair and incident-free polls," said another official.

 

 

Last year, over 320 companies (nearly 32,000 personnel) of CAPF were deputed for the Gujarat Assembly elections. The assembly elections in the state will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5, and the results will be declared on December 8. Of the 182 seats in the legislative Assembly, 89 will go to polls in the first phase and 93 in the second. Over 4.9 crore electors are eligible to vote in the polls. More than 51,000 polling stations will be set up, including more than 34,000 in rural areas. The term of the Gujarat Assembly ends on February 18, 2023.