CEO to hold key meet on CAPF deployment for Bengal polls

Kolkata: A high-level meeting will be held at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Kolkata on Monday to finalise the deployment strategy and movement plan for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

Sources in the Election Commission of India (ECI) said the meeting has been convened to review the ground situation and streamline coordination before the large-scale induction of central forces into the state.

“Discussions will focus on the stationing of forces, their inter-district movement and coordination between Central Forces and the state police to ensure a peaceful and orderly electoral process,” a senior ECI official said. The meeting will be attended by West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Special Observer N.K. Mishra, Director General of Police Peeyush Pandey, Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar, the Additional Director General (Law and Order), the state police nodal officer and the nodal officer of the Central Industrial Security Force. Senior officials from various central armed police forces are also expected to be present.

According to official communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the deployment will be carried out in phases, with nearly 480 companies initially slated to arrive in the state. Around 240 companies are expected by March 1 and another 240 by March 10.

The CAPF contingent will comprise personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and Central Industrial Security Force.

The Union Home Ministry has informed the state’s Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police, directing them to make necessary logistical and security arrangements. The deployment schedule follows the publication of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list on February 28, with central forces expected to begin arriving from the following day.

During the 2021 Assembly elections, held in eight phases, over 1,100 companies of Central Forces were deployed in West Bengal. The ECI has asked the state administration to identify sensitive and vulnerable polling booths in advance. Officials indicated that the number of polling phases will largely depend on the availability and deployment pattern of central forces.