After a communally-charged election campaign and a spate of incidents in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked all states to remain alert in order to avoid more clashes. The MHA has also asked central paramilitary forces to stay put in some of the sensitive states for a few more days after the counting is over. More than two lakh paramilitary personnel were deployed for the election duty and almost 50,000 are still posted at the counting centres securing EVMs.
According to reports, 30 companies of paramilitary forces will remain posted in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh as the state is about to be bifurcated. The Centre is also worried about the evolving situation in Assam’s Bodo areas where extra central forces have been deployed after more than 30 people were killed in communal violence. The Uttar Pradesh government has already banned victory procession to prevent any law and order crisis. The Assam government has also banned victory processions in eleven sensitive districts of the state.