Kolkata. The deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel for the by-elections to six assembly seats to be held in West Bengal on November 13 will begin from October 25. Sources in the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office said that initially a total of 89 companies of CAPFs will be deployed till October 25. This includes 24 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 30 companies of Border Security Force (BSF), 12 companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and 13 companies of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Sources in the CEO office said that a total of 120 companies would be required to ensure adequate deployment of CAPFs at all the polling stations in these six constituencies.
A source said 89 companies of CAPFs will be deployed in these six assembly constituencies by October 25 to ensure complete control of the area before the voting date. Voting for six assembly seats in the state is to be held on November 13. Along with this, there will also be by-elections for one Lok Sabha seat and 41 other assembly seats in many states and voting for the first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections. Counting of votes will take place on November 23. There are a total of 1,583 polling stations in the six assembly constituencies, of which the highest number of 304 polling stations are in Medinipur in West Midnapore district.
After this, there are 300 polling stations in Sitai in Cooch Behar district, 279 in Haroa in North 24 Parganas district, 264 in Taldangra in Bankura district, 226 in Madarihat in Alipurduar district and 210 in Naihati in North 24 Parganas district. Sources in the CEO office said the commission intends to bring all polling stations under webcasting, as was done in the Lok Sabha elections this year. All six assembly seats in the state had fallen vacant after sitting MLAs were elected in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year. Madarihat is an assembly seat, which was held by BJP. The remaining five seats were won by Trinamool Congress in the 2021 assembly elections.