High alert in Maha for polls, 1.29 lakh cops on duty

A high alert has been sounded across Maharashtra for Tuesday's Assembly polls where over 1.29 lakh state police personnel along with Central Para Military Forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.

A high alert has been sounded across Maharashtra for Tuesday's Assembly polls where over 1.29 lakh state police personnel along with Central Para Military Forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.

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Director General of Police in-charge of elections, A N Roy, told reporters on Monday that adequate number of Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) have been deployed, mainly in naxal-infested areas like Gadchiroli to assist the state police. He, however, did not divulge the number of CPMF personnel pressed into service.

Of around 84,000 polling booths in the state, many have been classified as sensitive and hypersensitive.

All polling stations would be guarded by armed police personnel, Roy said.

"Utmost care has been taken to ensure fair and peaceful polls in naxal-hit areas following Maoists' call for a boycott of elections," the DGP said.

Security situation has been reassessed in Gadchiroli following the recent naxal assault on policemen that left 17 dead.

Roy admitted receiving intelligence inputs about a large number of naxals having infiltrated in the state from Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.