Deployment of about 25,000 troops for election duties has been ordered by the Union Home Ministry, putting in place security arrangements for the upcoming polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The paramilitary and state police personnel, part of the additional 250 companies to be sent in for the polls, have been asked to take position by October 15 in states assigned to them. An order accessed by PTI said that the highest of 150 such teams have been earmarked by the ministry to be sent to Chhattisgarh, a state affected by Maoist violence, while 50 fresh companies each have been marked to be sent to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. A single state police or Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) company has about 100 personnel. While dates for Assembly polls in these states are yet to be declared by the Election Commission (EC), the Home Ministry has asked the forces and respective state governments to get these units "inducted" by the first fortnight of this month for "area domination to ensure peaceful conduct of polls." A senior official said that these 250 companies of the forces are in addition to paramilitary forces deployed in these states for conducting anti-Maoist operations and assisting in other law and order duties. The fresh 250 companies will have to be withdrawn from other duties and training and will be sent to the three states soon, he said. Chhattisgarh already has about 40 battalions (about 1,000 personnel in each) of the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force deployed full-time to counter the LWE menace. The official added that the orders are to rush these additional companies and put them in position in the three states by October 15. Detailed deployment plan would be charted out once the EC announced polls dates and phases. While the maximum manpower for the new units are being drawn from CAPFs like the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB and RPF, special police battalions from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Gujarat have also been requisitioned by the Home Ministry. Specific directions have been issued by the ministry for the forces marked for Chhattisgarh, that they should "carry their own night vision devices, communication equipments like satellite phones, bullet proof jackets, GPS systems and armoured vehicles as far as possible for safety and other operational requirements."