Security personnel lead a flag march as party candidates campaign for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections in the Kalighat area of Kolkata on April 6, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
To ensure peaceful elections in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to deploy 3,000 armed police from other states, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, adding to the already substantial presence of central forces for the first phase of the polls scheduled for April 23, a senior official said on Monday (April 06, 2026).
“Due to the sensitivity of the elections, it has been decided to augment the existing force by around 3,000 armed police from other states. A large contingent of additional forces will be drawn from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh,” an official told PTI. Personnel are expected to start arriving in the state from April 13 in a phased manner, he said.
The commission has already planned to deploy 2,400 companies of central forces across the state, he said.
Meanwhile, the ECI rejected the plea of former Kolkata police commissioner Supratim Sarkar, who sought to be relieved of his newly assigned role as police observer in Tamil Nadu, citing health reasons. The commission directed Mr. Sarkar to take charge by Monday (April 6, 2026), sources said.
Mr. Sarkar has been appointed Police Observer for several constituencies in Tamil Nadu, including Tirunelveli, Ambasamudram, Palayamkottai, Nanguneri and Radhapuram. “The exemption request was not accepted and he was asked to report for duty immediately,” the official said.
Published – 06 Apr 2026 23:14 IST
