New Delhi, Feb 15: A total of 3.40 lakh Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel are likely to be deployed during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as well as the assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, officials said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would decide to deploy the CAPF following consideration of a proposal sent by the Election Commission seeking the deployment of around 3,400 companies (3.40 lakh personnel) of the paramilitary wings in all states and Union Territories in a phased manner to ensure the conduct of free, fair and peaceful elections.

The EC has sent the proposal to the ministry following requests from the chief electoral officers of all the states and the UTs for the deployment of CAPFs for election-related duties such as area dominance, confidence-building measures, poll day-related duties, guarding of EVMs and strong room centres and counting centre security during the forthcoming general elections and the assembly elections in four states--Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim--and the officials privy to the development.

"The CAPFs will be distributed from the center and retained at different intervals."

As per a proposal, the Election Commission has sought a maximum of 920 CAPF companies for West Bengal, followed by 635 in Jammu and Kashmir, which will witness its first Lok Sabha elections after scrapping Article 370 from the erstwhile state.

The MHA, however, would make decisions based on the availability of CAPFs as sought by the election watchdog.

The Lok Sabha elections are expected in April-May, to the 543-member House for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win 370 seats alone and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will cross 400 seats.

(ANI)

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