TMC questions ECI's move to deploy 480 CAPF companies in West Bengal

TMC leader Jay Prakash Majumdar questioned the ECI's pre-poll deployment of 480 CAPF companies in West Bengal, urging the commission to stay within its constitutional mandate. Another minister downplayed concerns, citing past deployments.

TMC Questions Pre-Poll CAPF Deployment

Trinamool Congress leader Jay Prakash Majumdar on Thursday questioned the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to deploy 480 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections, saying the poll panel must act within its constitutional mandate.

Speaking to ANI, Majumdar said, "The Election Commission has its own mandate and manuals... In the case of SIR, they have breached several areas where they have been reprimanded by the Supreme Court itself, that you cannot do this."

The ECI has decided to station CAPF personnel in the State from March 1, 2026, even before the formal announcement of the election schedule. Around 480 companies will be deployed in two phases by March 10. In the first phase, nearly 240 companies are set to arrive on March 1, followed by another 240 companies on March 10.

Earlier, West Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay downplayed concerns over the heavy deployment. "Mamata Banerjee assigned responsibility to everyone... Nothing will happen this time... They sent a lot of people from the force earlier, too..." he said.

SC Decision on Voter Roll Verification Welcomed

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government, on February 24, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to permit the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to deploy additional civil judges with three years of experience and, if required, seek assistance from the Chief Justices of Jharkhand and Odisha for verifying objections under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter rolls in the state.

The directions were issued by a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant after the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court flagged a shortage of officers to verify over 50 lakh objections under the 'Logical Discrepancy' category within the existing timeframe. The High Court had noted that even 250 judicial officers would require approximately 80 days to complete the verification.

The TMC government in the state, in a press release, said that in a significant development before the Supreme Court today, the voters of West Bengal secured critical clarifications and directions safeguarding the rights of eligible electors in the ongoing SIR process. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)