New Delhi: More than 1.20 lakh Central paramilitary personnel, in addition to state police forces, are expected to be deployed for the multi-phased Lok Sabha polls which are likely to be held in April-May, 2014.
The home ministry has told Election Commission that the required number of paramilitary personnel would be provided to ensure peaceful polling in the general elections, which is expected to be held over five or six phases.
Securing the polls. PTI
Official sources said that home ministry has started preparing for the massive exercise of mobilising 1.2 lakh personnel from different paramilitary forces.
As per the plan, the forces will have to be shifted from one state to another upon completion of polling in a particular phase.
The home ministry takes the help of Railways in transporting the forces and around 70 trains were hired by it for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
The Central paramilitary personnel will assist state police forces in ensuring order in the run up to voting, on the polling day and for keeping the Electronic Voting Machines in safe custody till the counting of ballots.
Sources said that those paramilitary personnel who are deployed in anti-Naxal operations and in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states would not be disturbed, although some "thinning out" of the forces in the three areas may occur.
Along with Lok Sabha polls, Assembly elections are to be held in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.
There are around 800 million voters in the country and the total number of polling stations would be around 8 lakh.
There were 714 million voters in the country at the time of the 2009 polls while the number for the 2004 parliamentary elections was 671 million.
The term of the current Lok Sabha expires on 1 June and the new House has to be constituted by 31 May.
The chief electoral officers of the various states are holding separate meetings with the DGPs for availability of state police for the polls.
PTI
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