2 lakh force for LS polls

More than two lakh gun-toting paramilitary personnel, thousands of vehicles and nearly a dozen helicopters will be deployed across the country to ensure smooth and violence-free elections beginning April 7.

During the nine-phased polls, spread over nearly two months, the Home Ministry has chalked out the deployment plan for 543 constituencies having a total electorate of 81.4 crore with the special focus on violence-hit states.

“It is a massive exercise. But we will ensure peaceful polling. We are also taking special measures for Maoist- affected states, Jammu and Kashmir and North-east,” Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry, MA Ganapathy, said.