Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is deploying an unprecedented 2,000 to 2,400 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), totaling over 200,000 personnel, to ensure free and fair polling in West Bengal.
According to ECI sources, over 480 CAPF companies were already stationed in the poll-bound state by March 31, with an additional 300 units from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) inducted by the same deadline. Another massive tranche of 600 companies is set to arrive by April 10, bolstering the security grid ahead of the polls.
The deployment extends beyond central forces with the Election Commission requisitioning 300 companies from state armed police of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, creating a multi-layered security blanket. Unlike previous elections, these forces are arriving early to dominate vulnerable areas, a direct response to the 2021 post-poll carnage that saw over 1,300 cases registered, the note states.
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This besides, the ECI plans to retain 500-700 companies in the state even after voting concludes, aiming to curb any recurrence of the 2021 violence that claimed lives and displaced thousands.
Technology will play a key role in surveillance. CAPF units will deploy robot dogs and drone cameras to monitor high-risk zones and track potential disruptors, marking a tech-driven shift in election security.
Election officials attribute the aggressive buildup to “rising concerns over potential violence,” citing Bengal’s history of electoral tensions. This deployment dwarfs previous efforts, signalling the ECI’s zero-tolerance stance on malpractices.
Assembly elections in West Bengal is slated for April 23 and April 29.
