New Delhi: As many as 500 companies of central armed police forces (CAPFs) will stay deployed in Bengal for post-poll law and order duties after the poll results are out, “till further orders of the Election Commission“, EC said on Friday.Each CAPF company comprises 80-100 personnel. A total 2,400 CAPF companies have been assigned for poll deployment in Bengal and 1,700 will leave the state after polling gets over on April 29.EC officials said besides the 500 companies that will stay back to maintain law and order “long after the results”, another 200 will be retained “till counting is completed”, to secure the EVM strong-rooms and counting centres.On Friday, CEC Gyanesh Kumar also directed the state chief secretary, DGP and senior state administration and police officials to ensure elections where citizens vote without fear and which are free of violence, intimidation, inducement, chaapa (voter impersonation), booth jamming and source jamming”.Sources said EC decided to extend the stay of 500 companies of central forces till after the elections, in view of the state’s history of post-poll violence. As per an NHRC probe into post-poll violence in Bengal after the 2021 assembly election, the state DGP had reported 1,970 complaints of violence between May 2, 2021 and June 20, 2021.
