Kolkata, 20 April (H.S.) : In an unprecedented move ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission has directed that only Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel will be deployed at booths classified as “highly sensitive.”
For the first time, the Commission has introduced a new category of polling stations labelled “highly sensitive,” in addition to the existing classifications of normal, sensitive, highly sensitive and critical booths.
Under the directive, these polling stations will have local police support alongside CRPF personnel only. Other central armed police forces such as the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will not be deployed at these locations.
The Additional Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal reportedly issued a communication on April 18 to state police authorities, CRPF coordination officers and all district election officers regarding the new arrangement.
Senior police and central force officials said such a booth-specific deployment order had not been issued in previous elections.
According to the Commission, the CRPF has extensive experience in handling complex law-and-order situations across the country. The force’s operational expertise in dealing with communal tension, sensitive environments and ensuring impartial polling was cited as the basis for the decision.
Sources said that of the nearly 2,500 companies of central forces deployed for the first phase of polling in West Bengal, around half belong to the CRPF.
Personnel have also reportedly been instructed to carry lathis in addition to automatic weapons. The CRPF will independently arrange tear gas support for quick response teams.
Officials said the “highly sensitive” booths were identified on the basis of intelligence inputs and local assessments. Concerns such as resistance to central forces, possible gheraos by women’s groups, and protests over deletion of names from voter rolls were among the factors considered.
Traditionally, polling stations recording unusually high or low turnout, or those showing overwhelmingly one-sided voting patterns, have been marked as “critical” booths. The new classification signals an added layer of security scrutiny for this election.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
