In the midst of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh which is witnessing a three-way battle between the BJP, BSP and SP-Congress combine, the Centre has changed the deployment of the central paramilitary force in the state in large numbers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent out a large chunk of the CRPF, which was deployed for election duties across the state for the seven-phase polls, and replaced it with the Border Security force, a move that raised eyebrows in the Election Commission.
However, the MHA has argued that the need to change the central force during the elections was driven by the fact that as many as 202 companies (nearly 20,200 personnel) were required in Manipur for the two-phase elections. The ministry maintained that law and order situation in the northeastern state, where insurgent groups are active, prompted the move.
The MHA officials explained that it would be prudent to send the CRPF there instead of the BSF which is required to be sent to Jammu and Kashmir immediately once the election season is over.
It may be recalled that in the run up to the elections in UP, Manipur, Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand, several meetings were held between the EC, MHA and central forces to lay out a blueprint for deployment of central forces in the election-bound states.
"The changes have happened in the middle of the polls but such requirements and rethink happens sometimes depending on the requirements of the forces, " said a top official of a central paramilitary force. Sources disclosed that EC held meetings with the MHA officials over the issue of changes in deployment recently and were satisfied once the explanation was given by the MHA.
Officials, meanwhile, disclosed that the BSF was supposed to send nearly 80 companies (8,000 personnel) to Manipur before they were re-directed to UP.
Meanwhile, the CRPF personnel who were on election duties in UP have now landed in Manipur which will witness the highest central forces deployment for the assembly polls.
The CRPF is the largest paramilitary force in the country and apart from actively participating in anti-naxal operations, counter-insurgency and counter-militancy operations and VIP protection duties, it is the prominent force deployed for election duties in the country.
The central armed police forces act as force multipliers during elections in states where each state forms a state deployment plan and shares it with the home ministry which then makes available the central forces for election related duties. The duty of a central force jawan includes static duties at polling booths and securing trouble prone areas which are identified based on their past history and specific complaints among others. The first tier of security is usually provided by the central forces at the polling booths and a minimum of one platoon of the CAPF is deployed to keep round the clock vigil.
