As many as 66,303 personnel from the State Police and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed in the State for Friday’s Lok Sabha polls, Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Sanjay Kaul said on Wednesday.
The State Police units include 183 DySPs, 100 Inspectors, 4,540 Sub Inspectors/Assistant Sub Inspectors, 23,932 Senior Civil Police Officers (Senior CPO/CPOs, 4383 personnel from the Armed Police battalions and 24,327 Special Police Officers.
In addition to them, 1,500 police personnel from Tamil Nadu and 2,874 Home Guards also have been deployed. 144 election sub-divisions have been created under 20 District Police Chiefs in the State. Patrol teams, rapid action teams also have been deployed.
Security has been tightened in Maoist-affected areas and other sensitive areas with the support of the Central forces, the Police department said.
In all, 4,464 CAPF personnel under 62 companies also have been deployed for Friday’s election. The Central forces have been deployed in line with the directions of the Election Commission of India, Mr. Kaul said. Fifteen CAPF companies had been deployed on March 3 and March 21. Forty-seven companies had arrived on April 20 after the polling was completed in Tamil Nadu.
ADGP M. R. Ajith Kumar is the nodal officers for the deployment of the security personnel. IG (Headquarters Harshita Attaluri is the Assistant State Police Nodal Officer.
