Bengal polls: ECI-appointed police observers to determine CAPF movement this time

The Election Commission has taken control of CAPF movement for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls, removing the district administration’s authority. ECI-appointed police observers will now decide deployments to prevent misuse and ensure stronger security with a zero-tolerance approach to poll violence

Kolkata: To ensure the best possible utilisation of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had decided to strip the district administration of the authority to determine the movement of the CAPF.

Until the last elections, District Magistrates, including District Electoral Officers, were authorised to determine the movement of the CAPF before, during, or after the polls while the MCC was in force. However, this time, as the Commission decided, it will be the ECI-nominated police observers for the polls who will determine the CAPF movements for the respective districts.

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The decision had been conveyed to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, during the two-day review tour of ECI’s full bench on Monday and Tuesday, said sources in the CEO’s office. At the same time, the CEO’s office sources said, district-specific composite teams will be formed to evaluate the pocket-specific requirement for CAPF deployment, and the decisions of the police officers in the matter will be final.

“The decision to change the jurisdictional authority to determine the CAPF movement was taken after the ECI’s full bench, headed by the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, interacted with all the political parties on Monday. The representatives of most of the political parties that the CEC interacted with alleged that the deployed CAPF personnel in the previous elections were either kept idle or were diverted to places other than those where the deployments were required the most,” the CEO’s office sources said.

Already, the ECI, on Tuesday, had directed the West Bengal administration to complete the first phase of conducting the route marches and area domination exercises of the available CAPF personnel in all districts of the state by 8 p.m. on March 14.

A total of 480 companies of the CAPF have arrived in West Bengal in two separate batches. The ECI had already completed the district-wise process of allotment of the available 480 companies of CAPF.

While interacting with the media persons on Tuesday afternoon, the CEC clearly said that the ECI this time will move with a zero-tolerance policy towards poll-related violence, be it before the polls, during the polls, or after the polls.

“The Commission had decided to act in this matter very strongly and take strong action against anyone involved in the matter,” the CEC said.