Controversy Over Central Forces Deployment in West Bengal: EC's Constitutional Mandate Questioned

Jay Prakash Majumdar from Trinamool Congress questions the ECI's decision to deploy 480 Central Armed Police Forces in West Bengal ahead of elections. The deployment, slated to begin from March 1, 2026, raises constitutional concerns. Concurrently, West Bengal government welcomes SC's directives on voter roll verification process.

Amid growing political tension, Trinamool Congress leader Jay Prakash Majumdar criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its decision to deploy 480 companies of Central Armed Police Forces in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Majumdar questioned whether such heavy deployment fell within the constitutional boundaries set for the ECI. He argued that in past instances, the Supreme Court had reprimanded the commission for overstepping its mandate.

The ECI's plan involves dispatching Central Armed Police Forces from March 1, 2026, before the official election schedule is announced. In a phased deployment, 240 companies will arrive by March 1, followed by another 240 on March 10. West Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay attempted to downplay the situation, emphasizing that previous elections had also seen significant deployment of forces with no adverse outcomes.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government welcomed a crucial Supreme Court decision allowing the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to allocate additional civil judges for the thorough verification of voter rolls under the Special Intensive Revision process. This move came after the High Court highlighted the shortage of judicial officers necessary to resolve over 50 lakh objections categorized as 'Logical Discrepancies.' The court's decision aims to ensure that the rights of eligible voters in West Bengal are duly protected.

(With inputs from agencies.)