Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced the details of the 240 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel that will be deployed in the first phase on March 1, amid the preparations for the Assembly polls in West Bengal.
Incidentally, this is the first time that the ECI has decided to deploy CAPF in the state so early, and that too before the announcement of the polling dates and enforcement of the model code of conduct.
While 240 companies will be deployed in the first phase on March 1, another 240 companies will be deployed in the second phase on March 10.
According to a notification issued by the ECI on Thursday, of the 240 companies to be deployed in the first phase on March 1, the maximum deployment of 30 companies will be in the Bangladesh-bordering North 24 Parganas district.
The second-highest deployment will be in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district at 16. The third-highest deployment will be in the South 24 Parganas and Howrah districts at 15 each.
The fourth-highest deployments of 14 each will be in East Midnapore district, the native district of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, and Hooghly.
The other district-wise deployment details will include 12 companies each in Malda and Nadia districts, as well as in the state capital, Kolkata.
While 11 companies will be deployed in North Dinajpur, 10 companies will be deployed in South Dinajpur.
Nine companies of CAPF will be in the Darjeeling and Cooch Behar districts each. Eight companies will be deployed in East Burdwan. In addition, each of the seven companies will be deployed in West Burdwan, West Midnapore, Birbhum, Bankura, and Jalpaiguri districts.
Five companies will be deployed, one each in Purulia, Jhargram, and Alipurduar districts. Only three companies will be deployed in the Kalimpong district.
The 240 companies of CAPF, which will be deployed in the first phase on March 1, will include 110 companies of Central reserve Police Force (CRPF), 55 companies of Border Security Force (BSF), 21 companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 27 companies of Indo-Tibetan Police Force (ITBP), and 27 companies of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
(IANS)
