April 5, 2021: As the stage is all set for the final phase of the Assam assembly polls on April 6, as many as 320 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies have been deployed to ensure a free and fair election in the state. Out of these 320 CAPF companies, 30 are reserved for strong room duty and others for law and order duties.

These companies include the Central Armed Police Force (CRPF), State Armed Police (SAP) of other states and Assam. One constable and one home guard have also been deployed at each polling station to maintain law and order, according to the Election Commission.

Besides this, sector and zonal police officers are monitoring the security situation in the state, the commission said. While the first phase of polls in the state saw a deployment of 300 CAPF coys on March 27, the second phase on April 1 had a total of 310 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) coys and 90 companies of Assam state police.

In view of the worsening COVID-19 situation, the poll body had issued guidelines lowering the maximum number of voters per polling booth from 1,600 to 1,000. The guidelines also include sanitisation of electronic voting machines (EVMs), wearing of masks and other protective gear by polling personnel, the availability of thermal scanners, hand sanitisers, soaps, and water at booths.

A total of 40 constituencies are going to polls in the third and final phase. The total assembly segment in Assam assembly is 126 -- while 47 seats went to polls in the first phase, 39 seats in the second phase.

In the final phase, 337 candidates are in the fray, including 12 female candidates and 325 male candidates. There are 79,19,641 general electors in the third phase. Of these, 40,11,539 are males, 39,07,963 are females, and 139 are other genders. The number of service voters stood at 24,460. (ANI)