With the 2026 Assembly Elections on the horizon, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in West Bengal held a crucial 90-minute meeting today to chalk out the deployment strategy for central paramilitary forces. The marathon session focused on ensuring a violence-free election and identifying sensitive zones across the state where additional security might be required.

Top officials from the state police and nodal officers for the central forces attended the meeting. According to insiders, the primary objective is to maintain a 100% deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at all polling stations. The discussion delved deep into the logistics, including the accommodation of personnel, route maps for area domination, and the early arrival of companies to bolster voter confidence in volatile regions like Birbhum and Jangalmahal.

The CEO office emphasized that a “Zero Tolerance” policy toward electoral malpractice would be enforced. A preliminary report on the number of companies required and the phase-wise distribution of forces was drafted during the session. This report will now be sent to the Election Commission of India in New Delhi for final approval. As political temperatures rise in the state, the administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the 2026 democratic exercise remains transparent and secure.