65k paramilitary personnel tobe sent to Bengal for Lok Sabha polls

The Centre will send nearly 65,000 personnel from paramilitary forces to West Bengal for security arrangements during the Lok Sabha elections, making it the largest deployment among all states after Jammu and Kashmir, officials aware of the matter said.
As part of the deployment during the first and second phase of polling on April 19 and 26, around 30,000 personnel from three paramilitary forces have already reached the state to prevent violence. Polling in West Bengal for the 42 seats will be held across all seven phases.
“The deployment from the third phase will be random and increased because of the areas that are hypersensitive and have a history of violence during the elections,” an official said, requesting anonymity. “Personnel from the BSF (Border Security Force), CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) have already reached the state.”
Polling in constituencies like Murshidabad, which has reported violence in the past, will be held in third phase on May 7, while elections for the Basirhat constituency, which includes violence-hit Sandeshkhali, is scheduled on June 1, the last phase which includes areas under the North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts, which has reported poll violence in recent years.
Tight security in West Bengal is also required because of its location as a state that shares its boundaries with three countries, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, a second official said, declining to be named.
The Election Commission on Saturday said new check points will be set up by the forces near the international border and drones will be used near border areas to curb smuggling of articles that could be used in the elections. The poll overseer did not share data of the total security personnel to be inducted for election duty, but said the number would be adequate.
Apart from West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir will have around 50,000 people from paramilitary forces deployed to ensure elections are free of violence.
“Places like Jammu and Kashmir already have CAPFs (central armed police forces). Additional forces will be sent to meet the requirement. The pattern will be like Chhattisgarh and Manipur,” the second official said. “Chhattisgarh being a Naxal affected state already has around 200 companies. They will now be attached for polling duty. An additional 30-40 companies will help them. Similarly, in Manipur, there are over 150 companies already in the state.”