Bengal bypolls: Deployment of CAPF increased substantially

Considering the booth-sensitivity of the six Assembly constituencies going to bypolls next month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to substantially increase the deployment of Central Police Forces (CAPF) personnel from what was decided initially.

Sources in the office of the West Bengal Chief Electrical Officer (CEO) said that initially it was decided that a total of 89 companies of CAPF would be deployed for the bypolls, the disposition process of which has already been completed for the purpose of area domination.

However, CEO office insiders added, considering the sensitivity of the nature of booths in certain constituencies as well as an appeal from some political forces in the state, the Commission has decided to increase the deployment substantially by 19 companies to a total of 108.

It is learnt that as per the initial distribution of 89 companies, 30 companies were from the Border Security Force (BSF), 24 from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 13 from Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), 12 from Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and 10 from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

“Now five additional companies of CRPF, 10 from BSF and two each for ITBP and CISF will be added to the existing deployment of 89 companies,” a CEO office insider said.

The six Assembly constituencies are scattered over five districts. These are Sitai in Cooch Behar district, Madarihat in Alipurduar, Taldangra in Bankura, Medinipur in West Midnapore district and Haroa and Naihati, the last two being in North 24 Parganas district.

The polling will be on November 13 and the counting on November 23.

All these six Assembly constituencies are going for bypolls, since the erstwhile legislators from there got elected as Lok Sabha members in the general elections this year.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly constituencies, barring Madarihat, Trinamool Congress candidates got elected from the other five Assembly constituencies.