Lok Sabha polls: 100 central forces companies arrive in WB; 50 more next week

Kolkata: Around 100 companies of the central armed police forces (CAPF) arrived in West Bengal on Friday, with 50 more expected to arrive on March 7 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, officials aware of the matter said.o)..

The elections commission on Wednesday announced that at least 150 companies of CAPF are expected to arrive in the state in the first week of March..

Five companies would be stationed in Basirhat amid the Sandeshkhali unrest which has been on the boil since February 7 with protests erupting against multiple local ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders over allegations of sexual assault and land grabbing, a senior poll panel official said..

While seven companies each would be stationed in Malda and East Midnapore, Asansol-Durgapur will receive six companies, Basirhat and West Midnapore will receive five companies each, Purulia, Bankura and Birbhum will get four companies each, the official added..

Speaking to the media, TMC vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar said, For the first time central forces are being deployed even before the ECI announced the poll dates..

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