Kolkata, February 26 The West Bengal government finalized the deployment of the first installment of 240 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF) in preparation for upcoming elections across 35 districts, police districts, and police commissionerates in the state.
While 12 companies of CAPF are scheduled for deployment in Kolkata, 30 companies of paramilitary troops are slated to be deployed in the North 24 Parganas district, which borders Bangladesh.
Among other sensitive districts, 16 companies are allocated for Murshidabad, 15 each for South 24 Parganas and Howrah, 14 for Hooghly, and 12 for Malda.
The forces are expected to arrive in the state on Friday, sources said.
The Election Commission announced on February 21 the induction of 480 CAPF companies – comprising the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB – in two phases during the run-up to the polls: the first 240 companies by March 1, and the remaining 240 by March 10.
The deployment of central forces – for area domination, confidence-building measures among the electorate, and poll-related duties such as guarding EVMs, strong rooms, and counting centers – even before the formal announcement of elections was considered significant amid sustained opposition allegations, particularly by the BJP, over law and order concerns.
Elections in the state are likely to be announced in March after the final electoral rolls, determined by the SIR (State Election Commission), are published on February 28, followed by supplementary rolls thereafter.