Shah declares 60-day CAPF presence after State Poll

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday announced that Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will remain deployed across West Bengal for 60 days after the Assembly election results, even if the BJP forms the Government.

“Brothers and sisters, go and vote on the 29th. Do not worry about Didi’s goons. The Election Commission has deployed CAPF at every nook and corner. Even though the BJP will come to power, central forces will remain here for 60 more days,” Shah said while leading the massive saffron-packed procession in south Kolkata’s Behala Purba and Paschim segments.

Earlier, addressing a massive road show in Behala, Shah urged voters to cast ballots without fear of ‘Didi’s goons’ in the final phase of polling on April 29. The first phase on April 23 saw a record 93 per cent turnout for the 294-member Assembly.

The road show turned the streets into a sea of orange, with supporters waving flags, carrying balloons and chanting Jai Shri Ram and Bharat Mata ki Jai. Shah waved from an open vehicle and showered flower petals on crowds.

Later, he addressed a similar rally in Chandannagar, Hooghly district. He claimed a strong pro-BJP wave and warned TMC workers, “Do not step out to intimidate voters on April 29. After May 4, the BJP will punish the culprits and hang them upside down”. Shah accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of shielding infiltrators for vote-bank politics and opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. “Didi feels pain when we say infiltrators must be removed. After May 4, all infiltrators will be identified and removed from Bengal,” Shah thundered.

Shah said, “There has been no major incident of violence. Not a single death has taken place. The elections are being conducted peacefully.” He said a BJP victory would transform the state into “Sonar Bangla” with restored law and order and good governance.

Shah’s 60-day CAPF deployment aligns with and extends the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) mandatory protocols for safeguarding election materials. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, election petitions can be filed within 45 days of result declaration. ECI directives require polled Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units, Symbol Loading Units and related records, including CCTV footage, to be preserved in secure strong rooms under District Election Officer custody for at least this 45-day period or until any petitions are disposed of. Strong rooms must maintain armed security, joint political party access protocols, CCTV monitoring and fire-safety measures. EVMs are categorised (polled units kept separately) and memory data cannot be erased during this window, as per Supreme Court directions and ECI compliance orders.

The extra 15 days of central forces provide a buffer for the sensitive post-poll transition, ensuring law and order while EVM integrity is legally protected. This proactive step by the Centre supports the ECI’s mandate for free and fair elections regardless of the outcome. With campaigning ending on April 27, all eyes are on April 29’s final phase and May 4, when the results will be announced.