Ensure optimum use of CAPF for free, fair and peaceful elections

Delhi.

Election Commission has directed office of the Chief Electoral Officer Ensure to optimum use of CAPF for free, fair and peaceful polling during second and third phase Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh on April 17 and 24. Directives have been given to give priority to CAPF followed by state armed force and then district armed force in deployment of security forces.

It has been said in the directives that state government deploys large number of forces available with it for ensuing free, fair and peaceful polling during Lok Sabha elections, which can be further strengthened with deployment of CAPF. The commission said that some states keep CAPF as reserved security force, which is not justifiable from security point of view. The commission has directed Chief Electoral Officer to pay special attention to this. On the polling day, security forces should be deployed throughout the state keeping in view the number CAPF forces made available by the Union Home Ministry. The commission has also said that CAPF forces should be divided and part of it should be deployed in sensitive areas. Both the state and district-level deployment plans should be finalised minimum one week before polling. It should also be ensured at district level that adequate number of security forces are deployed at every polling booth. Security at zones and sectors level should be strengthened through mobile forces.

The commission has said that when CAPF forces are deployed on static duty at polling booths, they should be deployed at entry gate to prevent entry of unwanted people in polling booths. In the buildings housing more than one polling booth, CAPF forces should take rounds of all polling booths and inform polling in-charge if they notice any irregularity. CAPF jawans should ensure that no person takes weapons inside polling booth. Central security forces will be used for conducting flag march to bring about confidence among voters, checking of borders etc. Responsibility of guarding EVMs stored in strong rooms after polling should be entrusted to CAPF and SAP.