Amid growing concerns over security during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, central forces have taken charge of the security of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office in Kolkata from Saturday, official sources said. Until now, the office had been under the protection of the state police.
The decision follows requests from the Election Commission of India (ECI), which raised concerns about the safety of the CEO’s office nearly a month ago. Acting on the Commission’s request, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decided to deploy central forces— primarily personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) — to provide security cover to the CEO’s office.
Sources indicated that the CEO’s office has been granted Y-category security. Under this arrangement, a team of four to five security personnel will be on duty daily, with overall deployment likely amounting to one full section of forces. Y-category security typically involves 8 to 11 personnel, including one to two commandos, depending on threat perception.
The ECI, in a letter sent to the MHA, formally requested the deployment of central forces to ensure the security of the CEO’S office as well as officers and staff working in the office. In the letter dated December 18, the Commission cited incidents of demonstrations outside the West Bengal CEO’s office on November 24 and 25 during the SIR process.
According to the Commission, officers and staff of the CEO’s office faced serious security risks when they were surrounded by a crowd of booth-level officers and workers allegedly associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The Commission expressed concern that, given the sensitivity of the SIR exercise and the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for 2026, the possibility of similar incidents recurring in the future could not be ruled out.
The ECI also noted that the CEO’s office is currently operating from rented premises in the Balmer Lawrie building on Netaji Subhas Road in Kolkata. Due to security vulnerabilities, infrastructural shortcomings and administrative issues, the office is set to be shifted shortly to Shipping House on Strand Road in the BBD Bagh area. In view of this transition, the Commission requested round-the-clock deployment of central forces at both the existing and the new office locations.
Sources further said that the Commission’s move was also linked to a request made by Election Commission observer C. Murugan, who had written to the ECI seeking central force deployment for the protection of election observers in West Bengal. Murugan reportedly sent the letter after facing protests while inspecting the SIR process in Falta, South 24 Parganas, where he was surrounded by local Trinamool Congress (TMC) women supporters.
Following the Falta incident, Murugan wrote to the ECI, citing the security breach and urging enhanced protection for all roll observers in the state. A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the West Bengal CEO’s office, sources said.
Also read: Phase-3 of SIR to cover Telangana: CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Follow us
