West Bengal is expected to see the largest-ever deployment of Central paramilitary forces for the upcoming assembly elections, as the Election Commission prepares for a high-security polling process in a state that has witnessed strong protests against the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. “The massive use of Central forces is expected to ensure a peaceful polling process and prevent any disturbance during the election period,” said a senior Election Commission official.
According to sources in the office of the chief electoral officer, over 2,000 companies of Central forces may be required in the state until the counting of votes. Already, the Centre has dispatched close to 480 companies of Central forces to West Bengal ahead of the polling process.
The deployment of forces is a significant rise from the previous assembly election in 2021. In the previous election, about 700 companies of the Central forces were deployed in the state for pre-poll and polling duties, with around 350 to 370 companies of the CRPF. According to officials, the reason for the increased number of forces this time is better planning and preparation to ensure that the election process remains smooth.
Besides the deployment of forces, the Election Commission is also paying attention to transparency in the election process. All polling stations in the state will be completely webcast so that officials can monitor the process in real time. Officials believe that this will ensure that the election process remains fair and help to increase the confidence of voters.
Another major difference lies in the number of polling phases. The 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal took place over eight phases spread over weeks. This time, the elections will take place over just two phases. Despite this, officials are of the view that the presence of Central forces will ensure that the elections are peaceful.
