Personnel of the Rapid Action Force will be deployed in about six sensitive constituencies that will be voting in the second phase of Gujarat elections.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has brought in the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to help ensure peaceful polling in sensitive pockets of Gujarat—the first time it has done so since the assembly elections held in 2002 in the aftermath of the communal riots that roiled the state.
With political temperatures in the state rising, the EC has decided to deploy at least five RAF companies as a preventive measure in about half a dozen sensitive constituencies in Ahmedabad and Vadodara that vote in the second round on 14 December, EC sources told ThePrint.
A few RAF companies were also deployed in the first phase of voting on 9 December to keep the peace in constituencies that were hubs of the Patidar protests, the sources said.
The EC decided to deploy the RAF in Vadodara and Ahmedabad in the light of the communal clashes there in 2002 and later and increased polarisation in the areas, they said, adding that constituencies with a high population of Muslims such as Dariapur will see a stronger RAF presence.
Besides these two areas, the RAF will also be deployed in some other “hotspots” where the election atmosphere is seen as communally charged.
The RAF is a specialised central paramilitary force trained to control riots or riot-like situations. It is usually only brought in to control very sensitive areas and communally charged situations.
Campaigning for the second and final phase of voting in what has been a keenly-fought assembly election ended Tuesday. Polling will be held at 25,515 polling stations in 93 constituencies on 14 December. The first phase of voting saw a voter turnout of 68 per cent.
The votes are due to be counted and results announced on 18 December.