KOLKATA: Following the Election Commission of India directives, the Union Home Ministry has decided to send 480 companies of Central forces to West Bengal. The move comes well ahead of the announcement of the dates of the assembly elections in the State.
According to the Ministry, in the first phase, over 240 companies of CRPF, CISF, BSF, ITBP, and SSB will be deployed in Bengal on 1 March, and the remaining 240 companies will be deployed on 10 March.
The Ministry has informed the matter to the state Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, Home Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP).
With the launch of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State since 4 November last year, there have been incidents of violence protesting against the SIR exercise, and attacks on poll observers’ vehicles in different parts of the State.
The Supreme Court (SC) has also expressed serious concern on these incidents on Friday and asked the DGP Peeyush Pandey to submit a status report in connection with measures taken by the State government to prevent violence.
The ongoing scrutiny of documents of around 59 lakh voters is scheduled to be completed by today, and the final electoral rolls will be published on 28 February.
The apex court has directed the Commission to release the final voters’ list in Bengal on 28 February, as prescheduled by the national poll body. 240 companies of the Central forces will be deployed in different parts of the State on 1 March, a day after the final rolls are published.
Sources in the state secretariat expressed that in the first phase, the Central forces would be pressed into service in several sensitive and risky areas across the cities and districts to avoid any trouble after the publication of the final voters’ list.
Sources in the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that dates of assembly polls are likely to be announced during the second week of March, and elections would be held in three phases in the State between 15 and 30 April.
Requesting anonymity, the sources also said that the number of phases for holding elections will depend on the availability of forces.
The Commission, with the opinions of the state CEO, has already discussed the matter related to availability of forces with the Home Ministry, sources also said.
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Agarwal had reportedly proposed the Commission and the ministry to hold single-phase elections in the State.
However, the proposal was not accepted by the Home Ministery, considering the non-availability of adequate companies of Central forces to be deployed.
In 2021, assembly elections were held in eight phases in the State, and 1100 companies of Central forces were deployed during the polls.