Arunachal: Additional 10 companies of central forces to be deployed in state

In anticipation of the upcoming elections in Arunachal Pradesh, the Election Commission has announced the deployment of an additional 10 companies of central armed police forces (CAPFs) to ensure the safety and security of the electoral process. Scheduled for April 19, the elections will cover the state's 50 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha constituencies.

Chief Electoral Officer Pawn Kumar Sain revealed that after a thorough assessment of ground reports, the Election Commission took the decision to bolster security measures by dispatching the additional paramilitary forces. Currently, a total of 70 companies of CAPFs, state armed police, and IRBn are stationed across various districts of the state. With the arrival of the new forces expected by next week, the total number of security personnel deployed will reach a staggering 8,000, marking the highest-ever security deployment for elections in Arunachal Pradesh.

Sain emphasized that the primary objective of this substantial security presence is to instill confidence and ensure the safety of voters. Alongside the deployment of armed forces, the Election Commission is implementing additional measures such as webcasting at all polling stations and appointing micro-observers for critical polling stations. These observers will report to the general observers appointed by the EC to oversee the entire electoral process.

Highlighting the comprehensive nature of the election oversight, Sain mentioned the appointment of 15 general observers, six police observers, and 25 expenditure observers to monitor the poll proceedings in the state. To facilitate the smooth conduct of elections, a total of 11,130 polling personnel have been deployed, and 6,874 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be utilized across 2,226 polling booths.