2 months ago
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About 2400 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are apt to beryllium deployed successful West Bengal for the upcoming Assembly election.
The Chief Electoral Office (CEO) of West Bengal has acceptable up a joint committee to oversee the deployment based connected the assessments of vulnerability and sensitivity crossed polling areas. The committee held a gathering on Saturday (March 21, 2026) at the CEO’s bureau to determine connected the fig of personnel required successful each Assembly constituency.
Since Saturday (March 21) morning, Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police person started visiting section constabulary stations crossed the State to instrumentality banal of the crushed situation.
About 480 companies of cardinal forces person already been deployed by March 10, with unit already holding emblem marches successful respective areas. The remaining 1,920 companies volition beryllium brought successful 5 phases — March 31, April 7, 10, 13 and 17. According to sources, peculiar trains are being arranged to facilitate their movement to the State.
Political observers presumption the monolithic deployment as an unprecedented move, adjacent though the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to clasp elections successful conscionable 2 phases. The 2021 Assembly predetermination was held successful 8 phases and the ECI deployed 1,071 companies.
The CAPF volition see unit from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB), and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
The forces volition beryllium tasked with country securing, assurance building, and patrolling. They volition also be liable for the information of EVMs, beardown rooms, and counting centres. Personnel already deployed are conducting regular route marches crossed the State, accompanied by section police
The ECI has besides decided to retain about 700 companies of CAPF adjacent aft the 2nd signifier of polling to forestall immoderate post-poll violence. West Bengal has a past of governmental violence. During the 2021 Assembly polls, CAPF unit opened occurrence connected a mob successful Cooch Behar, sidesplitting 5 radical connected the time of polling. Post-poll unit raged crossed the State and supporters of Opposition parties, peculiarly the BJP, were targeted.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the dense deployment of cardinal forces during this time. “Who volition feed them? There is already a shortage of LPG cylinders. Where volition we keep lakhs of central unit force and so galore observers? Who volition wage for their hotels?” she asked connected Friday (March 20).
Ms. Banerjee also raised concerns astir the cooking state shortage, alleging that the state meant for communal radical of the State volition beryllium utilized by the cardinal forces. She besides said world activities are disrupted erstwhile schools are utilized to accommodate personnel.
The State volition spell to the polls successful 2 phases connected April 23 and 29, and the counting volition instrumentality spot connected March 4. More than 60 lakh radical are inactive nether adjudication, according to the CEO's bureau sources. Around 25 lakh cases person been disposed of and a supplementary database of the electorate is apt to beryllium published connected Monday (March 23).
