Pole, Maralker to monitor; Kumar, Junaid designated SPNOs
*JK gets 2nd highest paramilitary forces after WB
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 14: Gearing up for the conduct of Parliamentary elections, the Election Commission of India today approved 635 companies of paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir and 57 in Ladakh for smooth conduct of polls for six Lok Sabha seats in the two Union Territories.
Significantly, Jammu and Kashmir with just five Lok Sabha seats will be using 635 paramilitary companies for the elections scheduled to be held in April-May, the number being second highest after West Bengal where 920 companies will be deployed. Uttar Pradesh with highest number of 80 Lok Sabha seats will have 252 paramilitary companies. UT of Chandigarh will use minimum 11 companies, a detailed document of the Election Commission of India accessed by the Excelsior, revealed.
“A total of 3400 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will be deployed in all States and Union Territories in a phased manner to ensure conduct of free, fair and peaceful Parliamentary polls,’’ the document said.
Jammu and Kashmir being always on the target of Pakistan as well as militant outfits of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is given maximum number of CAPF companies to ensure peaceful elections—be it Lok Sabha or local polls like Municipalities and Panchayats etc. Assembly elections in J&K haven’t been held since 2014.
The Election Commission order stated that out of 635 paramilitary companies assigned to Jammu and Kashmir, 36 will be retained for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)/Strong Rooms guarding and counting centre arrangements.
The Union Territory of Ladakh which is completely peaceful and has only one Lok Sabha segment has been allotted 57 additional companies of paramilitary forces. Out of this, one company will be retained for EVM/Strong Room guarding and counting centre arrangements.
“The Election Commission has considered the requests made by the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all the States and Union Territories and decided to deploy a maximum of around 3400 companies of CAPFs in all States and UTs in a phased manner to ensure conduct of free, fair and peaceful elections. The CAPFs will be distributed and retained at different intervals,’’ the ECI order read.
While CEO Jammu and Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Pole will be overall Incharge to monitor deployment of paramilitary forces in the UT, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law & Order Vijay Kumar will be Special Police Nodal Officer.
Similarly, in the Union Territory of Ladakh, Yetindra M Maralker will be overall Incharge while DIG Sheikh Junaid Mahmood will be State Police Nodal Officer for deployment of CAPFs.
“Number of the CAPF companies given to a State/UT is the maximum mobilization to be deployed in any particular phase of elections and retained after polling is over. The Commission will intimate details of advance deployment of CAPFs in due course with stipulated timelines of deployment,’’ the EC order said.
The Commission has also asked the Chairman of Railway Board to provide adequate number of rolling stocks with all appropriate facilities in the trains, thereby ensuring hassle free mobilization and timely movement of forces to perform election duties.
Jammu and Kashmir has five Lok Sabha seat while Ladakh has one. In 2019 Parliamentary polls both UTs were part of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir and accounted for six Lok Sabha seats.
Jammu and Kashmir divisions have two complete Lok Sabha seats each while fifth seat (Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri) is divided between the two divisions. In 2014 and 2019, BJP won both Jammu division seats including Udhampur and Jammu where Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma emerged victorious
Ladakh seat has also been captured by the BJP for last two consecutive terms and the party is eyeing to retain it for third time in 2024.
In Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to Udhampur and Jammu Parliamentary seats, the BJP is focusing on Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri constituency which has large number of Pahari voters who were recently conferred Scheduled Tribe (ST) status by the Central Government.
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