Murshidabad To Receive 316 CAPF Companies As Bengal Begins Phase 1 Voting On April 23

Murshidabad district in West Bengal is set to witness the highest deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the first phase of the 2026 Assembly elections on April 23, as the Election Commission of India (ECI) sharpens its focus on sensitive and vulnerable constituencies ahead of voting.

The border district has emerged as the top priority for security arrangements due to its history of communal tensions, past incidents of unrest, and a large number of voter deletions currently under scrutiny. Officials said the scale of deployment reflects a broader strategy to prevent violence and ensure smooth polling in one of the most closely watched election phases.

Murshidabad emerges as top security concern for ECI

Murshidabad, a Muslim-majority border district, has been marked as especially sensitive by the ECI following repeated episodes of communal unrest in recent years. The district saw clashes during Ram Navami celebrations in 2024 and again in 2025 amid protests linked to the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

Adding to the concern, Murshidabad also recorded the highest number of voter deletions under adjudication in the state, with 4,55,137 names flagged. This has made the district a major focus area in the poll preparedness exercise.

"At least 316 companies of central forces will be deployed in Murshidabad district, which has two police districts. While 76 companies will be stationed at Jangipur police district, 240 companies would be deployed in Murshidabad police district," a senior ECI official said.

Record CAPF deployment planned for first phase

Election Commission officials said around 2,407 companies of CAPF will be deployed across West Bengal in the first phase of polling, underlining the scale of security arrangements being put in place for the high-stakes contest.

According to officials, the deployment plan has been drawn up after factoring in previous incidents of violence, vulnerability mapping, and feedback from election observers along with district administrations.

"This is the highest deployment of CAPF in West Bengal in recent Assembly or parliamentary elections," another official said.

The April 23 phase will cover 152 of the state's 294 assembly constituencies spread across 16 districts, making it the larger of the two polling phases in terms of seats.

East Midnapore among other key flashpoints

After Murshidabad, East Midnapore will receive the second-highest CAPF deployment with 273 companies. The district remains politically and electorally significant, especially because it had witnessed widespread allegations of post-poll violence after the 2021 Assembly elections.

The district is also expected to draw intense attention this time due to the battle for Nandigram, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had lost to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in 2021.

In a notable political move, the Trinamool Congress has fielded Pabitra Kar from the constituency. Kar is a former close aide of Adhikari who recently returned to the party and was quickly handed a ticket, adding a fresh layer of intrigue to the contest.

Heavy security cover across several districts

Apart from Murshidabad and East Midnapore, several other districts will also see substantial CAPF deployment in the first phase, reflecting the ECI's effort to tighten security across vulnerable regions.

West Midnapore will have 271 companies, followed by Bankura with 193 companies, Birbhum with 176 companies and Malda with 172 companies.

Polling for the remaining 142 seats will be held in the second phase on April 29, while counting of votes for all 294 constituencies is scheduled for May 4.