In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to deploy Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal, coinciding with the release of the electoral roll on February 28 as the state gears up for the Assembly elections.
Even before the Assembly polls are formally announced by the EC, 480 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed in West Bengal: 240 by February 28—the day the first voters’ list is likely to be published after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls—and the remaining by March 10. The move to bring in central forces early is aimed at maintaining law and order once the electoral list is published.
“The Central forces will be deployed by March 1. They will go for area domination. They will patrol areas. They will not sit idle. They will assist in maintaining law and order. The District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) will guide them. They will have body cams. Their cars will have GPS. They will not sit idle. We will keep a watch on them as per the protocol,” State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said.
North 24 Parganas district, bordering Bangladesh, will see the highest number deployment of Central forces, with 30 companies stationed there, followed by Murshidabad, another border district, with 16 companies – eight each in Murshidabad and Jangipur police districts.
There are 35 police districts (PDs) and commissionerates in West Bengal.
Besides North 24 Parganas and Murshidabad, nine companies of CAPF will be deployed in Barrackpore police district, seven in Basirhat PD, six in Barasat PD, and four each in Bongaon PD and the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate.
South 24 Parganas, another district bordering Bangladesh, will see the deployment of 15 companies of CAPF—six in Diamond Harbour police district, five in Baruipur PD, and four in Sunderban PD. Howrah district will also see the deployment of 15 companies, with seven assigned to the Howrah Police Commissionerate and eight to Howrah Rural PD.
The next highest deployment, with 14 companies, will be in Purba Medinipur, home of the Leader of the Opposition and Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari, and Hooghly (eight in Chandannagar PD and six in Hooghly Rural PD).
While 12 companies each will be deployed in Kolkata, Malda, and Nadia (six each in Ranaghat and Krishnanagar PDs), Uttar Dinajpur will see a deployment of 11 companies, six in Raigunj PD and five in Islampur.
Cooch Behar will have nine companies of CAPF, Purba Bardhaman eight, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, and Jalpaiguri seven each, Darjeeling six, Alipurduar and Purulia five each, Siliguri Police Commissionerate, and Kalimpong three each.
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs sent a letter to the state chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police, which stated, “In pursuance of the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s communication dated 20.02.2026, it has been decided to initially deploy 480 companies of CAPFs, for area domination, confidence building measures, poll day related duties, guarding of EVM/Strong room centers and counting centre arrangements etc.”
According to EC sources, among the 480 companies of CAPF, 230 are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 120 from the Border Security Force (BSF), 37 from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 47 from the Indo‑Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and 46 from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).