Anantnag bypoll: MHA less than half prepared

NEWDELHI:The home ministry has informed the Election Commission that it can spare around 30,000 paramilitary personnel for bypoll duty in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat on May 25, less than half of the demanded 74,000.

A ministry official said the EC has been told that around 300 companies of paramilitary personnel could be arranged for deployment during the bypoll.

A company of paramilitary comprises around 100 personnel.

The EC’s response to the ministry’s offer is yet to be known.

Last week, the EC had asked the ministry that 740 companies of paramilitary forces be put at its disposal by May 12.

The demand seemed unprecedented as the poll body had sought 70,000 paramilitary forces for deployment in the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, which has 403 Assembly constituencies and 80 Lok Sabha seats.

Earlier, the EC had sought 30,000 paramilitary personnel for the bypoll to Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha seats. While polling in Srinagar was held on April 9 amidst massive violence, voting in Anantnag, scheduled for April 12, was postponed to May 25.

In normal circumstances around 10 companies (1,000 personnel) are deployed in a parliamentary seat during polling, the official said.

There are 10 lakh paramilitary personnel under the ministry’s command, but it is tough to assemble them from different parts of the country on such short notice, the official said.