The Election Commission today convened a meeting of Chief Electoral Officers and Nodal officers of five poll-bound states to review final leg of preparedness before announcing the schedule of Assembly elections in five states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.
Sources said that after discussing the preparedness, the Commission may choose to announce the poll schedule tomorrow.
This was the second meeting at the Election Commission in this week. At yesterday’s high-level meeting with Election Commission, top officials of the Home Ministry led by Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi conveyed that it will provide around 750 companies of paramilitary forces for smooth conduct of the election process.
The ministry will provide around 85,000 security personnel for deployment in the upcoming assembly elections in five states, he informed.
In addition, around 100 companies, most of which are belonging to State Armed Police Forces and India Reserve Battalions, will also be drawn from different states for deployment of election duties. A company of paramilitary force comprises of around 100 personnel.
In addition to the central forces, police forces of all states will be deployed for the election duties.
The Election Commission had asked the MHA to make available one lakh personnel for deployment during the Assembly elections expected to be held in next two months.
In politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, polls could be conducted in seven phases, reports said, adding that polling for the first phase could be held on February 7.
In remaining four states (Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur), the Election Commission is likely to conduct single phase polling.
