Kolkata, Feb 26 || Around 2500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be needed if the Bengal Assembly polls are held in single phase, according to initial estimate by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The proposal for a single- phase poll had gone to the ECI's headquarters in New Delhi from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, in Kolkata, though the latter had maintained that the final decision in this matter would be taken by the Commission.
"Based on the recommendation for a single-phase poll, the Commission made an initial calculation for the CAPF requirement in case of that eventuality and had estimated that 2,500 companies would be required in case of a single-phase. Now, the Commission might take up the matter with the Union Minister of Home Affairs on whether those 2,500 companies of CAPF could be arranged or not, and based on the outcome, the number of phases would be decided," said source in the Commission.
However, he added, that even if a single-phase poll is not possible, the number of phases this time would be much less than the last few polls in West Bengal, which were either seven-phase or eight-phase polls.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which were the last major election in the state, there was eight-phase polling, and then, 1,099 companies of CAPF were deployed. In the 2011 West Bengal assembly elections, there was again a two-phase polling, and then 725 companies of CAPF were deployed.
The last time there was single-phase polling in West Bengal was in the 2001 state Assembly elections.