Chidambaram assigns 10,000 troops for Bengal

An “unsatisfactory” law and order situation and increase in political killings in West Bengal before the assembly elections has prompted the union home ministry to deploy over 10,000 paramilitary personnel for the six phase elections there.

The election commission announced on Tuesday that West Bengal assembly elections will start on April 18. “The central paramilitary will deploy 100 companies in West Bengal during the assembly elections,” P Chidambaram, the union home minister said. The Chief Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi, however, said, “I can’t divulge the number and the deployment strategy of security forces. But I can assure there will be adequate forces in the polling booths.”

Chidambaram further elaborated that the law and order continued to be unsatisfactory as clashes between political workers still take place in the state. The home minister also said that although maintainiung law and order was a state subject, the Centre would send more security personnel on the recommendations of the Election Commission.

“The Election Commission will take a decision on the law and order situation in the state and we will deploy adequate central paramilitary forces as per their need,” he added.

In the past one year, frequent clashes between members of CPI(M), Trinamool Congress and CPI(Maoists) have been reported in the state and as many as 120 political workers have been killed in the ongoing political violence.

While announcing the dates of the assembly elections in West Bengal, the Election Commission said that based on the assessment of the ground situation, Central Police Forces (CPF) and State Armed Police (SAP) drawn from other States will be deployed during the ensuing general elections.

“The CPF and SAP will be used generally for safeguarding the polling stations, the electors, poll-material and the polling personnel. Besides, these forces will be used for securing the strong rooms where the EVMs are stored pending counting and for securing the counting centers,” the Election Commission said.