LS elections: First phase of CAPF companies to be mobilised from March 1

The first phase of deployment of more than 3.4 lakh central armed police forces (CAPFs) for the upcoming general elections in the country and assembly polls in few states will begin from Friday, official sources said Thursday.

According to the plan, about 2,000 companies will be mobilised as part of the pre-poll deployment in sensitive and hyper-sensitive constituencies beginning March 1. About 1.5 lakh personnel will move through roads and rail as part of this mobilisation, the sources told PTI.

The first CAPF units will start reaching the states affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), apart from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, later this week, they said.

The second phase of inducting the poll companies will be initiated from March 7, followed by some last units moving in their designated locations in the second and third week of March, they said.

The commanding officers of these units have been issued the movement orders and directed to familiarise their troops about the areas they are going for polls duty apart from the general instructions issued by the Election Commission, a senior CAPF officer said.

In the first phase, companies deployed for law and order duties in various states and those in reserve like training exercises are being sent. Some units deployed for regular duties like border guarding and security will be withdrawn and deployed during the later phases, the sources said.

The troops of these CAPF companies are drawn from the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB.

As many as 3,400 companies of the CAPFs and state police forces have been requisitioned by the EC for ensuring free and fair polls during the upcoming general elections and assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.

The poll panel is expected to announce the phases and poll dates in March.

It has also directed the railway board to ensure "smooth and hassle-free" train movement for the troops and officers of these security forces.