1.2 lakh security men to keep eye on Gujarat Assembly elections

Nearly 1.2 lakh security men will be deployed in Gujarat to ensure peaceful polling during the Assembly elections scheduled to be held on December 13 and 17.

After assessing the law-and-order situation, the Election Commission has asked the Home Ministry to provide about 64,000 security personnel — 12,000 more than its earlier request — for deployment in Gujarat during the elections, official sources said.

However, it is immediately not known what prompted the EC to seek more forces.

Last month, the poll body had asked the Home Ministry to make available 52,000 security personnel. Apart from the central forces, 55,000 Gujarat state policemen will also be deployed to ensure peaceful electioneering.

Sources said since paramilitary forces were hard-pressed, the Home Ministry is planning to send around 14,000 personnel of Indian Reserve Battalions from different states. Rest of the 50,000 personnel would be drawn from paramilitary forces.

The Home Ministry will also provide around 6,000 paramilitary personnel to be deployed in Himachal Pradesh where also the assembly election is due.

More than 14,000 state policemen will also be deployed in the election duties in the hill state where polling will be held on November 4.

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