KOLKATA: 240 companies of Central forces are all set to be deployed in different parts of poll-bound West Bengal, on February 28, a day after the final list of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) gets published.
The forces will be deployed in Kolkata, East Midnapore and other districts along the India-Bangladesh border on and from March 1 for an area domination exercise.
Later, from March 10, another 240 companies of the Central forces will be deployed in the state.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday prepared a list of districts where the first 240 companies will be deployed.
The highly sensitive border district of North 24 Parganas will receive the highest deployment of 30 companies, including CRPF, CISF, BSF, ITBP, and SSB. Meanwhile, Murshidabad district, also along the Bangladesh border, is scheduled to get the second-highest deployment with 16 companies. Howrah and South 24 Parganas districts will be given 15 companies each.
The ECI will deploy 12 companies each for Kolkata, Malda and Nadia.
North Dinajpur will get 11 companies, while South Dinajpur will receive 10 companies.
In addition to these districts, deployment of the Central forces will also be made for Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, East Bardhaman, West Bardhaman, West Midnapore, Purulia, Jhargram, Alipurduar and Kalimpong.
Each company will comprise a minimum of 72 armed jawans.
Following the ECI directive, the Union Home Ministry has decided to send 480 companies of central forces to West Bengal, much before the dates for the Assembly elections are announced in the state.
The ministry had informed the matter to the state chief secretary Nandini Chakraborty, home secretary and director general of police (DGP).
Sources in the ECI said the election dates are likely to be announced by the second week of March, with polling in the state expected to be held in three phases between April 15 and 30.
Since the launch of the SIR in the state in November last year, incidents of violence have been reported during protests against the exercise. Attacks on the vehicles of poll observers have also taken place in different parts of the state.
The Supreme Court had also expressed serious concern with these incidents and asked the DGP Peeyush Pandey to submit a status report in connection with measures taken by the state government to prevent such violence.
The apex court had directed the ECI to release the final voters’ list in Bengal on 28 February, which was prescheduled by the national poll body.
Sources in the state secretariat, Nabanna, said that in the first phase, central forces would be deployed in several sensitive and vulnerable areas across the city and districts to avoid any trouble after the publication of the final voters’ list.
Requesting anonymity, the sources added that the number of phases for holding elections depends on the availability of forces.
It is learnt that the ECI, in consultation with the state CEO, has already discussed the availability of forces with the Home Ministry.
Agarwal had reportedly proposed the Commission and ministry single-phase elections in the state. But the proposal was not accepted by the Home Ministry, considering the non-availability of adequate companies of Central forces for Bengal.
In 2021, assembly elections were held in eight phases in the state, and 1100 companies of Central forces were deployed during the polls.
