Heavy deployment of forces for BTC polls in Assam

GUWAHATI: About 7000 additional force personnel including 2000 Army personnel and about 5000 Central Paramilitary Force (CPF) personnel have been deployed in the troubled Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council (BTC) areas in Assam.
This was done to ensure free and fair election to the council on April 8 next.
A security source informed that there is apprehension that Bodo militants as well as a section of former Bodo militants close to a particular Bodo political party may try to disrupt election in the BTC which has a  history of going to polls under the shadow of the gun.
Besides the threat from the NDFB-S militants, an alleged presence of illegal weapons with a section of former Bodo militants close to a particular Bodo political party in the fray have raised concern in the government and the security agencies.
The security forces are more concerned about presence of illegal weapons with a section of people including former militants than the NDFB-S militants who are now on the run to dodge the heat turned on them by security forces in the aftermath of December 23 last massacre of Adivasi villagers.
The DG of Assam police Khagen Sharma has asserted that designs by any quarter to create trouble during the BTC election would be foiled effectively.
Some political and apolitical organizations including All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and Sanmilita Janagosthiya Sangram Samity have demanded seizure of all illegal weapons available in the volatile Bodoland areas before the April 8 election for conducive voting environment so that people can vote without fear.
The district administration has so far collected 578 licensed arms as a precautionary measure.
The Union government is keeping close tab in the situation in the BTC given that for the first time national political parties including the BJP and Congress are contesting in the BTC since the formation of the council in 2003.Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Sambhu Singh had taken stock of the situation in the ground two days back while the GOC in C , 4 Corps of Indian Army, Lt. Gen. Sarath Chand reviewed the situation in a meeting in Kokrajhar yesterday.
All along the electoral battle had been confined between Bodo political parties since the first election held to the council in 2005. There are 40 autonomous council constituencies.