350-400 CAPF companies to be deployed for Bihar Assembly elections

Around 350-400 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other state police units are expected to be deployed for providing security during the forthcoming assembly elections in Bihar, officials said on Friday.

A single CAPF company has an operational strength of about 70-80 personnel.

The exact dates and the number of phases for the 243-member assembly polls are expected to be announced by the Election Commission (EC) in early October.

The earmarked companies have been asked to initiate de-induction from their place of deployment and move to Bihar.

These companies include units from forces guarding the international borders, the officials told PTI.

The units will be added or subtracted once the EC directs the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for a specific number of companies, they said.

The maximum number of companies will be drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Other CAPFs like the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), apart from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and some India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) will also be deployed in Bihar, the officials said.

These companies will be in addition to the Bihar Police units for providing security during the upcoming assembly polls, according to the CAPF officials.

They said a number of coordination meetings have taken place on the subject and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is ready to provide CAPF troops for a three- or four-phased polls.

The commanders of the designated companies and battalions are already being imparted pre-induction training, the officials said.

Around 300 CAPF companies were deployed during the last three-phased assembly polls held in the state in 2020.