West Bengal Elections: ECI deploys central forces, appoints special observer for assembly polls

Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the central force must complete all area domination and route marches by March 14, a top Election Commission official said. Meanwhile, former IAS officer Subrata Gupta is likely to be appointed as Special Observer for 2026 assembly polls in West Bengal, people in the know said.

This was decided during the presence of CEC Gyanesh Kumar-led Election Commission of India’s (ECI) two-day meeting of the full bench on March 9-10 poll preparedness and review, ECI sources told ET. However, the official order is awaited.

The ECI has reportedly informed the matter appointment with the Chief Secretary and the DGP and it has been learnt that Gupta will be in a position to call any officer involved in the election work and give any instructions, sources informed.


In November last year, during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission had appointed retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as the ‘Special Roll Observer’ for the SIR exercise in West Bengal.

Already 480 companies of CAPF have been deployed in Bengal in two phases this month ahead of the assembly election in the state. Of the 480 companies, the maximum deployment will be in the North 24 Parganas district at 58, followed by 35 in Murshidabad, 33 in South 24 Parganas, 30 in Kolkata, and 28 in East Midnapore.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday said he has given clear message to “enforce of rule of law without fear and favour” during the two-day poll-preparedness meeting with District Magistrates, Police Superintendents, IGs and 24 Enforcement Agencies and state administration, including Chief Secretary, DGP and state administration.

He has directed them to act impartially. "Stringent legal action will be taken if any pressure is put on voters or election officials or they are intimidated," CEC said, emphasizing on violence-free polls. He told mediapersons that the final decision on the number of poll-phases in West Bengal will depend on ground-level law & order preparedness. Meanwhile, CEC said that the supplementary list on the Adjudicated cases will be published on the website once adjudicated by the judicial officers, as per Supreme Court order.