The Election Commission on Monday asked the central government to deploy 1,000 companies or one lakh paramilitary and security personnel across states that are scheduled to have Assembly elections over the next few months. The election body had a meeting with home ministry officials on Monday, where they made the request. The ministry is expected to agree to the request soon, according to The Indian Express.

States that are headed for elections include Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh is the biggest of the states with regard to number of seats – it has 404 – where polls are likely to be held in multiple phases. Election dates have not yet been announced, though aggressive campaigning is on and manifestoes have been released.