More forces to be sent to J&K, Jharkhand if needed: Rajnath

Assembly polls in the militancy-hit J&K and Naxal-hit Jharkhand will be held between November 25 and December 20

The Centre today offered to send additional paramilitary forces to Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand to ensure peaceful polling in the coming Assembly elections if required.

"CRPF and state police forces are there and if need arise we will send more forces," Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Singh, however, said he believed that elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand will be completed peacefully.

Assembly polls in the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-hit Jharkhand will be held in five phases between November 25 and December 20.

The CRPF has deployed close to 60,000 personnel in Jammu and Kashmir for security duties and in view of the upcoming polls, the central government has sent a total of 381 companies (one company comprises around 100 personnel) of various central forces like BSF, ITBP and CISF.

In Jharkhand, there are close to 25 battalions of CRPF which is currently undertaking operations against Left Wing Extremists, along with some units of other paramilitary forces.

Similarly, a total of 136 companies of forces have been asked to report for poll duties in Jharkhand.

In addition, state police forces of both the states will be deployed during the elections.