Election Commission to retain 700 CAPF companies in West Bengal

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to retain around 700 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal until further orders, officials said on Wednesday, even as the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticised the massive security deployment for the assembly polls in the eastern state. Polling for the two-phased assembly elections in West Bengal concluded on Wednesday. The results will be announced on May 4.Polling for the two-phased assembly elections in West Bengal concluded on Wednesday. The results will be announced on May 4. “After completion of poll today, 700 companies of CAPF shall continue to remain deployed in the state for security arrangements and law and order duties, till further orders,” an ECI official said. “The forces will be stationed in sensitive areas and will assist the state administration in maintaining normalcy.” While TMC leaders, including Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, shared on social media an unverified internal circular claiming that the forces were being removed post polls and that orders were already issued, CRPF director general GP Singh said in a post on X: “As mentioned earlier, 500 companies of the CAPFs would stay in West Bengal after the polling till further orders.” Singh also shared a breakdown of the 500 CAPF companies that would remain in the state, according to a March 19 order — 200 companies of CRPF, 150 BSF, 50 CISF, 50 ITBP and 50 SSB. The CRPF is the nodal force for all CAPFs. Each CAPF company comprises 100-120 security personnel. For the two-phased assembly polls in West Bengal, EC had deployed a significantly higher number of CAPF companies — 2,550 in total — nearly three times the 845 companies sent during the 2021 assembly polls, which were held in eight phases, and the 800 companies in 2016 assembly polls, which were held in six phases. For the first time, the forces had also brought armoured bullet-proof vehicles by road from Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir. In another first, CAPFs had opened a control room in the state to monitor social media contents and relay information to quick action teams. However, an officer, requesting anonymity, said: “The de-induction for the rest of the companies is starting from Thursday. The first batches of forces to return will be those who had come from J&K and Manipur. Many bullet-proof vehicles that the forces brought from J&K too are being taken back while some will remain due to the law-and-order situation there.” The heightened security has been attributed to a history of poll-related violence in the eastern state, including fatalities reported during the previous assembly and panchayat elections. There were at least 48 poll related deaths reported during the 2023 assembly polls, with both the ruling TMC and opposition BJP accusing each other for the violence. On April 27, the last day of campaigning for the second-phase polls, Union minister Amit Shah had said that central forces would stay in the state for 60 days after the polls. Speaking on the matter, retired IAS officer KBS Sidhu, who was a former special chief secretary in Punjab, said: “Post election, the law and order becomes a state subject. CAPFs function under the administrative command of the DM or the SP. If the new government believes they have sufficient forces then the large number of forces stationed there won’t have any independent authority. They will be confined to their barracks with no work. CAPFs are always brought to aid the civil authority.” Former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi said ECI was well within in rights to decide to retain the forces. “The home ministry and EC always consider the law-and-order situation before deciding to retain such a large force post polls. ECI is legally right to decide to keep the forces until a review later by whoever is in charge. In my opinion, even after results day or the formation of a new government, the state government cannot and should not withdraw the force immediately without any valid reason,” he added. Prawesh Lama covers crime, policing, and issues of security in Delhi. Raised in Darjeeling, educated in Mumbai, he also looks at special features on social welfare in the National Capital.