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Central forces including the CRPF Quick Response Teams are positioned at Nabanna state secretariat in Howrah, Writers’ Building and other key government offices
Security has been bolstered at Bengal state secretariat. (News18)
With Bengal set for a change in power after 15 years, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Union Home Ministry have deployed record numbers of Central Armed Police Forces in Bengal, who will remain deployed till further orders
In a major upset, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was ousted from power, paving the way for the first BJP government as the results were announced on May 4.
Bengal elections
The BJP is on course to form its first government in West Bengal as it raced ahead in more than 200 seats, way past the majority mark, to end the TMC’s 15-year rule and paint the state saffron in a major political upheaval.
The signs were evident in the early leads, and it soon hardened into a sweep nearing a two-thirds majority.
The BJP has already won 18 seats and was leading in another 185, while the TMC lagged far behind with a handful of victories and lead in fewer than 90 seats as counting progressed.
The scale of the surge, as the BJP breached the halfway mark of 148 in the 294-member Assembly well before counting reached its midpoint, hinted not just at a change of guard, but also to a structural shift in Bengal’s political landscape.
The BJP’s vote share rising to around 45 per cent from 38 per cent in 2021 marks both consolidation and expansion, while the TMC’s dip to nearly 40.94 per cent from 48 per cent in the last assembly polls reflects erosion across segments that anchored its sweep five years ago.
Security in place
Central forces including the CRPF Quick Response Teams are positioned at Nabanna state secretariat in Howrah, Writers’ Building and other key government offices. Reports indicate checks on employees’ bags and restrictions on removing files. This is aimed at protecting official records as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the elections. These are mainly for law and order and securing strong rooms and EVMs to avoid West Bengal’s history of post poll violence.
The deployment reflects concerns over potential unrest or attempts to destroy and damage records. The extended presence is mainly to maintain normalcy and prevent untoward incidents, said top government sources.
The TMC facing a major defeat or loss of power and there is apprehension that cadres or insiders could target key files in secretariats like Writers’ Building.
These attempts to destroy documents linked to major controversies such as financial irregularities, recruitment scams or land-related dealings from the past years. Central forces are checking on employees and restrictions on removing files aim to prevent any sudden clean up of sensitive records during an unexpected transition.
All CAPF DGs are sent to Kolkata to handle situation from ground and ensure peace and law and order is maintained.
The Chief Secretary has directed all departmental secretaries and heads of offices to ensure strict protection of official records. Removal, damage, or unauthorized taking of files/documents from offices is prohibited. Unauthorised copying or scanning of documents is not permitted. All files, important papers, and communications must be properly accounted for.
Departmental heads are personally responsible for enforcing these instructions; accountability will be fixed for any violations.
With agency inputs
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