Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 2: For the first time, over 1 lakh security and Government personnel would man the prestigious forthcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which were due to be held in November-December this year.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the State has asked for 657 additional companies of para-military forces from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for smooth and peaceful conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Though a formal approval of the MHA is awaited, in all likelihood the Home Ministry would dispatch the additional para-military forces sought for the elections,” they said.
Jammu and Kashmir has the advantage of being the lone State to go to Assembly elections in the months of November-December and in that case the MHA wouldn’t face any problem in allocation of number of the para-military companies sought by it for holding peaceful elections.
While Haryana would go to elections in September-October, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are slated for Assembly polls in February next year. There is still uncertainty over fifth State of New Delhi on when and whether it would go to fresh Assembly elections or a new Government would be formed by reviving the existing Assembly, which has been kept in suspended animation.
Sources said nearly 50,000 para-military and police personnel and almost an equal number of Government officers and officials would be deployed for conduct of the Assembly elections.
“Normally, five Government officials are posted in one polling station. As Jammu and Kashmir would have a minimum of 10015 polling stations (if the auxiliary polling stations were not set up), nearly 50,000 Government staff would be required for the polling stations only. In addition to this, Observers, Micro Observers and Expenditure Observers would be deployed constituency wise,” they added.
Sources said since 2008 Assembly elections, 12 battalions of para-military forces have moved out of Jammu and Kashmir in consonance with the State Government’s policy to thin presence of para-military forces in the State. But at the same time, additional number of Indian Reserve Police (IRP) battalions have been raised during the past about five and half years.
“Still, the State would require 650 to 700 para-military companies from the Centre for smooth conduct of the elections,” sources said, adding in addition to this the existing para-military companies and entire police force would also be used for election duty.
Expressing confidence that the MHA would accept the State Government’s request for sanction of 657 additional para-military companies for Jammu and Kashmir, sources said the MHA has been conveyed about the request and hopefully they will respond shortly.
“If the Assembly elections, as expected, are held in November-December, the State would need para-military forces in October as it would take nearly a fortnight for their deployment. Moreover, some of the companies had to be deployed well in advance in sensitive and highly sensitive areas to sanitize them before the elections,” sources said.
On its part, the authorities have already decided to engage all IRP and local police companies for election duty excepting the mandatory police needed at police stations and police posts for maintenance of general law and order.
The para-military companies, both existing and additional and police forces would be used in hinterland while Army and BSF would strengthen patrolling along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border, which they had already been doing, to ensure that the militants didn’t infiltrate into this side to disturb the elections.
Sources said the upcoming Assembly elections would need maximum security than any other election held so far in view of reports that Pakistan based militants were determined to disrupt them.
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