West Bengal Post-Poll Violence: Central Forces Likely to Stay Till June 2026

To stop post-poll violence in West Bengal, the Centre has taken a big decision. How long will the central forces stay in the state? The Home Ministry has now made it clear. Check out our photo gallery for all the details.

Big move to stop post-poll violence in Bengal

The Union Home Ministry has decided to keep 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal. They will stay till June 20, 2026, to maintain law and order and prevent any post-election violence. The ministry sent a fax on May 20, 2026, to inform the state's Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and the DGP about this decision.

How long did the state want the forces for?

According to sources, the West Bengal government wanted the forces to stay till October 2026. The state's Home and Hill Affairs Department sent a request to the Centre on May 16. They asked to keep all 500 companies till the end of October 2026 to maintain law and order.

Central forces in Bengal till June

The Union Home Ministry reviewed the state government's request. After looking into it, the ministry has approved keeping the 500 companies in Bengal, but only until June 20, 2026. This means the central forces will be deployed across the state for the coming month.

How many companies of which force are staying in Bengal?

The Home Ministry's order gives a clear breakdown of the forces. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has the largest share with 200 companies. This is followed by 150 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF), 50 companies of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 50 of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and 50 of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

State government instructed to provide infrastructure

Ritesh Kumar Singh, the Second-in-Command at the Union Home Ministry, signed the letter. It clearly states that the West Bengal government must arrange for everything the forces need. This includes housing, transport, and other logistics. The Centre has instructed the state to get all the infrastructure ready quickly for the forces' operational needs. Experts believe this is a very important step to control post-poll violence.