GUWAHATI, March 26: As many as 375 companies of security forces, including central armed police force (CAPF), state armed police (SAP) from other states and SAP from Assam have been earmarked for the three-phase Assam Assembly elections, the first phase of which gets underway on Saturday.
Of these, 254 companies are from outside Assam, 101 companies are in situ CAPF of Assam, while 20 companies are SAP of Assam.
Three hundred companies of security forces have been deployed for the first phase of polls across 47 Assembly constituencies.
“Twenty eight of these have been deployed for strong room duty, while the rest for maintenance of law and order for a free, fair and safe election,” sources said here on Friday.
In the second phase across 39 Assembly constituencies on April 1, as many as 310 companies shall be deployed, of which 27 are for strong room duty and rest for maintenance for law and order.
Likewise, in the third phase across 40 Assembly constituencies on April 6, as many as 320 companies shall be deployed with 30 of them for strong room duty and the rest for maintenance of law and order.
There will be 52 strong rooms in the state which have to be guarded by the security forces.
Polling will be held across 33,600 polling stations in the three phases.
There are 3826 critical polling stations and all of them would be covered by static forces. Each polling station will also be manned by a constable and a home guard.
Besides, extensive patrolling/route marches, nakas would be carried out to guard these polling stations as well as 107 vulnerable hamlets where community meetings will be held with various stakeholders.
Sources further informed that of the 23503 licensed arms existing in the state as on December 1, 2020, 20926 arms have been deposited while 2533 arms are under the exempted/outside state/not purchased categories.
