An unprecedented number of Central paramilitary forces will be deployed in Nagaland for the February 23 Assembly elections, Election Commission officials said here on Tuesday.
“A total of 230 companies of Central paramilitary forces will be deployed in these elections as compared to 180 companies for the 2008 Assembly polls. These are in addition to the 13,000 security personnel [provided by] the State,” the State’s Chief Electoral Officer J. Alam told The Hindu over telephone.
Underlining the need for a heavy security presence is the fact that nearly three-fourths of the polling stations in the State have been classified as either hyper-sensitive or sensitive by the Election Commission.
“Of the total 2,023 polling stations in the State, 662 have been declared as hyper-sensitive and another 821 declared sensitive. But the situation is being monitored everyday and the final picture will be known only on the polling day,” Mr. Alam added. Early signs of trouble have already been witnessed in Molungkimong village in Mokokchung district where prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr.PC have been put in place following incidents of violence.
“There were reports that arms were being manufactured in the village and the police had gone there to investigate on Sunday,” Muroho Chotso, district commissioner of Mokokchung, told The Hindu over telephone, adding that the situation was under control.
