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BSF Inspector General S C Budakoti Thursday sought the Centre’s intervention against the prospect of deployment of two security personnel per polling booth in West Bengal, including one from Central forces, deeming it unsafe and against their rules.
After the Centre took up the matter with the State Election Commission (SEC), a decision was finally taken around midnight Thursday to have at least four personnel from Central forces at a polling station if it had one or at most two booths.
Polling for the West Bengal panchayat elections, which has been marked by violence, leaving 18 dead, will take place on Saturday.
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Budakoti is the coordinator of the Central forces deployed for the panchayat elections. As per the High Court’s orders, 822 companies of paramilitary forces – numbering around 64,000 personnel – are to be deployed for the polls.
In his letter to the Union Home Ministry, the IG wrote: “As per the instructions issued by the Calcutta High Court, CAPFs / SAPs / IRBs are to be deployed at each polling booth along with the West Bengal state police in a 50:50 ratio. As per the meeting held today (July 5) with the State Election Commissioner, there are a total of 61,636 polling booths. Troops are not to be deployed at 528 booths as there will be no polling there, but they are required at the remaining 61,108 polling booths,” the officer said, adding that given the personnel at his disposal, that meant roughly one personnel per booth along with one personnel of the West Bengal State Armed Police (SAP).
Badakoti said: “Deployment of troops at polling booths in isolation is against the norms / policy of deployment of CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces). Keeping the present scenario in WB state, any kind of violence / booth capturing attempt can’t be overruled. A single CAPF personnel will not be able to take any action and there will be a life threat to that person.”
After the letter from Budakoti, the Home Ministry contacted State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha, and directed that the necessary decision be taken. After this, Budakoti and Sinha held a two-hour meeting Thursday night to work out the deployment.
As per this, poll premises consisting up to two booths would be covered by “half a section (or four personnel)” of Central forces. On those poll premises with three or four booths, one section (or 11 personnel) will be deployed. Poll premises with five-six booths will see one-and-a-half section of forces, and in those with seven or more booths, there will be deployment of two sections.
Finally, each counting centre will have one company (between 90 and 105 personnel) of Central forces.
In addition, the state police will deploy troops as per the booth and the ground situation, Budakoti said.
Till Friday evening, of the 822 CAPF companies expected, less than 400 had reached West Bengal. But an SEC official said they expected more to come by midnight or Saturday morning, ahead of polling. “Central forces will stay here for 10 days. The rest of the forces will come and will be deployed at counting centres.”
