Kolkata, 21 March (H.S.): The Election Commission of India has decided to deploy 2,400 companies of central forces for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections as part of extensive security arrangements to ensure free and fair polling.

According to a notification issued on Friday night, the deployment will include companies from the Central Armed Police Forces, the India Reserve Battalion, and armed police units from other states. The Assembly elections in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases, with polling scheduled for April 23 and April 29. The forces will be deployed well in advance of the voting dates.

The notification also stated that the first supplementary list of cases sent for judicial scrutiny under the “logical discrepancy” category during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise will now be published on March 23. It was earlier scheduled for release on March 20.

As part of advance deployment, 480 companies of central forces have already reached the state.

After the second phase of polling, 200 companies will remain stationed in the state to guard electronic voting machines (EVMs), strong rooms, and counting centres until the completion of the counting process.

In addition, 500 companies will continue to remain deployed until further orders to maintain law and order and prevent any possible post-poll violence. The decision comes in the backdrop of incidents of violence reported after the 2021 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The remaining 1,700 companies of central forces, India Reserve Battalion units, and armed police from other states will be withdrawn after the completion of the polling process.

The Commission has also directed the state government to prepare a detailed deployment plan in coordination with the central forces, the India Reserve Battalion, state armed police, and the designated force coordinator.

Movement and deployment coordination of the central forces will be handled by the Central Reserve Police Force. Shalabh Mathur, Inspector General of the CRPF’s West Bengal sector, has been appointed as the state force coordinator for the elections.

The state government has also been asked to ensure necessary arrangements for transportation, logistics, accommodation, and other operational requirements for the deployed forces.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh