Imphal, March 17 -- In a bid to ensure the integrity of the electoral process in the violence-hit Manipur, the Chief Electoral Officer, Pradip Kumar Jha, has said that approximately 200 companies of paramilitary forces would be deployed in the sensitive areas of the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Scheduled to be conducted in two phases on April 19 and April 26, this decision aims to uphold the principles of free and fair elections amidst prevailing strife, CEO Jha told reporters in Imphal.

He said that the determination of the requisite number of companies followed a thorough assessment of the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur, conducted in collaboration with the relevant District Magistrates and Superintendents...