Deployment of para-military forces has begun in Gujarat ahead of the two-phased assembly elections to be held here on December 11 and 16.
Jamnagar, Dec 1 : Deployment of para-military forces has begun in Gujarat ahead of the two-phased assembly elections to be held here on December 11 and 16.
The village areas will be handed over to the security forces before the elections to ensure safe and smooth elections in the state, officials said.
Seventeen companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) are already present in the state.
"To ensure peaceful elections, we are trying to deploy maximum companies of Central paramilitary forces at polling booths. This step is being taken to instil a sense of fearlessness in the minds of voters. We want to enable them to vote in an atmosphere free of intimidation," said Piyush Patel, Superintendent of Police, Jamnagar, where the main highway has been under constant check since last one month.
The paramilitary forces will also hold a flag march in the area before the elections.
Twenty-one of BSF, 17 companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and two companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be deployed in Jamnagar alone.
Over 36 million voters are expected to exercise their voting right to elect the 182-member assembly in Gujarat as the term of the state's legislative assembly is due to expire on December 26, 2007.
The counting of votes will take place on December 23.
The ruling BJP had managed to win 127 seats, while the Congress party was able to win only 51 seats in the 2002 Gujarat Assembly polls. The Janata Dal (United) and independents won two seats each.
ANI