Senior police officers cited heavy deployment of central forces as one of several factors that may have worked in bringing down violence. (PTI File)
The state is going to see a deployment of around 1,020 companies of central forces in the upcoming sixth phase, which according to the official records of the ECI is the highest and heaviest deployment the country saw across states and across elections over the past few decades
After five phases of Lok Sabha elections, and with the sixth approaching, West Bengal appears to have defied its history of violent elections. Official data of the past five phases show steep decline in political clashes, critical injuries and killings as the Election Commission of India (ECI) decided to post over 1,000 companies of central paramilitary forces at ground zero.
Senior police officers cited heavy deployment of central forces as one of several factors that may have worked in bringing down violence. They also spoke about the shifting political winds and changing security dynamics.
The state is going to see a deployment of around 1,020 companies of central forces in the upcoming sixth phase, which according to the official records of the ECI is the highest and heaviest deployment the country saw across states and across elections over the past few decades. Each company of central forces generally and roughly consists of 70 to 80 security personnel, which means the state has around 80,000 central security personnel on ground.
HIGHEST DEPLOYMENT ACROSS STATES
The commission initially deployed around 930 to 950 companies of central paramilitary forces in the state, which was need-based postings of forces. However, according to the official documents, the ECI has deployed 1,020 companies of central forces for the sixth phase of election in the state. Eight constituencies of Bankura, Purulia, East and West Midnapore districts will vote in the sixth phase of elections.
A senior police officer said that the ECI has also ordered retention of forces in politically sensitive areas post elections. In addition, the forces are being sent to the constituency a day ahead of the polls for ‘area-domination’ work. For instance, around three dozen companies of central forces were moved to Barrackpore, Arambagh and Basirhat before the fifth phase of election as the commission was tipped off by senior politicians of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about possible violence, added the officer.
SHIFTING POLITICAL CURRENT
West Bengal has remained politically charged every election, including civic polls, rural elections (Panchayat polls), assembly and parliamentary elections. Parliamentary elections generally see fewer incidents of violence compared to other elections as the political stakes at the local level are not involved that way.
However, the general elections in 2019 saw exceptions as the state recorded over 650 incidents of violence and at least a dozen deaths. In a report to the ECI, the Ministry of Home affairs (MHA) said that around 693 incidents of violence were recorded in the state in 2019.
Five years later and after seeing massive post poll violence in the 2021 assembly elections, the ECI decided on a heavy deployment with an aim to cover all booths with central paramilitary forces. After the fifth phase, there has been no report of political killing and there has been no order of re-poll in the state, which is seemingly a welcome change, said another senior police officer.
