West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal is scheduled to attend an important meeting at the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi on Monday to review the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, will also include Chief Electoral Officers from other states heading for polls this year—Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu—as well as the Union Territory of Puducherry.

According to officials in the CEO’s office, West Bengal’s presentation is expected to focus on the need for enhanced CAPF deployment, particularly in view of a proposal to reduce the number of polling phases. Unlike the 2021 Assembly elections, which were conducted over eight phases, the state election machinery is likely to advocate for a much shorter schedule this time.

Sources indicated that the preferred option would be to hold polling in a single phase, or at most two phases. Such a compressed schedule, however, would require a significantly larger deployment of central forces to ensure adequate security across the state. These requirements are expected to be discussed in detail during the meeting.

The CEO is also expected to brief the Commission on the prevailing law and order scenario in West Bengal. The assessment, compiled with inputs from district police units, Kolkata Police and various commissionerates, includes booth-wise security analysis to help guide force deployment.

In addition, discussions are likely to cover measures to curb the use of illicit money, prevent the movement of arms and individuals with criminal backgrounds, and strengthen surveillance along international and inter-state borders during the election period.

The meeting gains added significance as preparations intensify, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently indicating that the West Bengal Assembly elections are expected to be completed by April this year.