The Election Commission (EC) has sought 64,000 para-military force personnel from the Union home ministry to ensure free and fair polls in Gujarat going. The polling will be held in two phases on December 13 and 17.
Besides, 55,000 state policemen will also be deployed to ensure peaceful electioneering in the state.
Chief election commissioner VS Sampath is also scheduled to visit the state on October 29 to further discuss issues of law and order with the state government officials. He is also to take on spot decision on postal ballots, staffing, vehicle requisition and measures to stop circulation of black money and paid news.
Sources said the EC had earlier requested 52,000 personnel., But within a week, it has raised the demand. The EC officials said they were still engaged in determining the vulnerability of booths in view of the community profile, earlier offences reported in the area, caste profile, etc. “We are still in the process of carrying out a full vulnerability-mapping exercise in the state,” they said.
Keeping in view the requests from Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-affected states, the central government may not be able to oblige the EC fully to deploy paramilitary forces. “At the request of Jammu and Kashmir government, we had to re-induct 71 companies of CRPF, once again, which had been withdrawn after the successfully completion of Amarnath Yatra,”a home ministry official said.
