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Bengal Polls: 150 Extra Force Companies Deployed for Two-Phase Election Security

The Ministry of Home Affairs has informed the West Bengal government it will deploy 150 additional companies of central and state forces for each phase of the upcoming Assembly polls. This increases the total deployment per phase to 2,550 companies, with 95 from Central Armed Police Forces and 55 from India Reserve Battalion and other state armed police. A significant portion of forces will remain after polling to secure EVMs and strong rooms, and to prevent post-poll violence. The CRPF will coordinate the movement and deployment, with Inspector General Shalabh Mathur acting as the State Force Coordinator.

Key Points: 150 Additional Force Companies for Bengal Polls Security

  • 150 extra companies per phase
  • 95 from CAPF, 55 from IRB/state police
  • Total deployment now 2,550 companies per phase
  • Forces to remain post-poll for EVM security and violence prevention
2 min read

150 companies of central & state forces to be deployed for two-phase Bengal polls

MHA deploys 150 extra companies of CAPF and state forces for each phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections to bolster security.

"150 companies of additional forces... will be deployed in each of the two phases - Ministry of Home Affairs"

Kolkata, April 8

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday told the West Bengal government that following the direction of the Election Commission of India, it has decided to deploy 150 companies of additional forces, including personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces, India Reserve Battalion and armed police wings from other states, will be deployed in each of the two phases of the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.

Earlier on March 20, the ECI told that a total of 2,400 companies of forces, including those of CAPF, IRB, and armed police wings from other states, will be deployed in each of the two phases of the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal.

Now, with the new communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the total number of forces to be deployed for each of the two phases of state polls will be 2,550.

Of the 150 additional companies to be deployed, 95 companies will be from CAPF, and the remaining 55 companies will be from IRB and armed police wings from other states.

Of the 85 CAPF companies, 32 will be from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 55 will be from the Border Security Force (BSF), six from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and two from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

The other parts of the earlier order from the ECI on March 20 will remain constant.

As per the ECI's previous order, after the polling ends in the second phase on April 29, 200 companies of CAPF will remain in the poll-bound state for security of electronic voting machines (EVMs), strong rooms and counting centres until counting of votes is completed.

In addition, 500 companies of CAPF will continue to be deployed until further orders for law and order duties and to prevent post‑poll violence, which was rampant after the 2021 Assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The remaining 1,700 companies of CAPF, IRB and state armed police will be de‑inducted after polling concludes on April 29.

The movement and deployment of CAPFs will be coordinated by the CRPF.

Inspector General CRPF (West Bengal Sector), Shalabh Mathur, has been nominated as "State Force Coordinator" for the state elections.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While security is important, seeing such a massive deployment feels unsettling. It speaks volumes about the ground reality. Hoping for peaceful voting without any intimidation. 🤞
R
Rohit P
Good move. Central forces are crucial for impartiality. State police can sometimes be under pressure from local politicians. 500 companies staying back to prevent violence is a wise decision based on past experience.
S
Sarah B
The scale of logistics here is mind-boggling. Coordinating the movement of 2550 companies in two phases is a massive task. Kudos to the EC and MHA for the planning. Hope it ensures high voter turnout without fear.
V
Vikram M
With all due respect, this feels like overkill and paints a very bad picture of the state. It also costs the exchequer a huge amount. Couldn't a more nuanced, confidence-building approach work? Just a thought.
K
Kavya N
The focus on securing EVMs and strong rooms until counting is very important. Public trust in the electoral process is everything. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳

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