250 CAPF companies on ground as three LS seats go to polls in Bengal

When people in three constituencies in West Bengal step out to vote on Friday in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election, 250 companies of central forces will stand vigil.

When people in three constituencies in West Bengal step out to vote on Friday in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election, 250 companies of central forces will stand vigil.

The Election Commission of India (EC) has deployed 262 companies of forces for only three seats in north Bengal. In Cooch Behar, which has witnessed stray incidents of violence over the past few days, 112 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed. In Jalpaiguri, 75 companies have been stationed and in Alipurduar 63 companies. Another 12 companies have been kept on reserve.

The massive deployment of central forces has dominated electoral politics in the State over the past few decades. From the CPI(M)-led Left Front to the Trinamool Congress, all ruling regimes have opposed the presence of central forces in the State during elections.

Last year, there was widespread violence during the panchayat election when people voted across the State on a single day without deployment of central forces in every polling booth.

Chiranjit Karji, a 27-year-old youth from Pratham Khanda Bhagni in Cooch Behar’s Dinhata block, was killed while casting his vote on July 8. “He was so enthusiastic about elections. He used to ask everyone whether they had voted or not,” recalled his mother Dulari Karji.

For the family, the Lok Sabha election has brought back memories of the violence at the local polling booth that claimed Chiranjit’s life. “He had taken his mother to cast her vote,” said Niren Karji, Chiranjit’s father.

Ms. Karji said when violence broke out at the polling centre, Chiranjit took her to a safe place. Moments later, he was found dead. “There were no police personnel inside the polling booth. Had there been deployment of central forces, my son would have been alive today,” she said.