India’s Election Commission Deploys 25,000 Troops in Bengal Amid Trinamool Congress Controversy

Recently, the state of West Bengal has seen additional paramilitary forces deployed, supplementing the 177 companies already assigned there due to previous instances of political violence. The previously deployed companies consisted of personnel from CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, and RPF. The 100 new companies now entering the state include troops from CRPF and BSF, with each company having 100 personnel. This deployment aims to ensure a peaceful election by conducting exercises such as area domination to instill confidence among voters and facilitate fair and free elections.

This effort is especially crucial following recent incidents, such as a mob attacking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team in Bhupatinagar and an attack on a team from the Enforcement Directorate in Sandeshkhali village in January. Amidst this, leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool have made statements regarding the central forces. Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP has expressed the intent to urge authorities to keep central forces in Bengal even after the Model Code of Conduct is lifted, citing previous post-poll violence. On the other hand, the Trinamool has accused the BJP of using central agencies to target its leaders before the polls.

The political landscape in Bengal is highly competitive, with the BJP aiming to surpass its 2019 electoral performance and the Trinamool striving to limit the BJP to single-digit seats. As the state gears up for the elections, both parties are advocating for a level-playing field and making efforts to position themselves favorably.