2 min readNew DelhiMay 5, 2026 05:15 AM IST
With post-poll violence a recurrent feature of West Bengal’s electoral cycle, security forces deployed for the Assembly elections have been asked to stay back for an extended period to prevent any breakdown of law and order. Following a landslide victory in which the BJP has crossed the 200-seat mark, defeating the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the party leadership is learnt to have instructed its cadres to maintain restraint.
“The forces that have been stationed in the state will remain there for a few days. It is important to ensure the law and order is not disrupted by either the TMC or the BJP workers. There is a culture in Bengal to target rival cadres, and even supporters, after elections,” a security establishment officer said, adding while the strength of deployment would be gradually reduced, “a sizeable force will remain in state for next few weeks to ensure political targeting of opponents does not take place”.
According to sources, even as the BJP leadership has issued appeals for calm, local police and Central forces have been asked to stay on alert. “The TMC is unlikely to create trouble as they have been decisively defeated. However, there is fear that some BJP cadres may engage in triumphant violence. The BJP cadres have not been imported from outside. They are groomed in the same culture of violent electoral dynamics of the state. While it would be difficult to create mischief in urban areas, it is not easy to maintain comprehensive vigil of rural areas,” another officer said.
The scale of deployment was unprecedented. The EC had sent more than 2.5 lakh personnel from (CAPFs) to the state — a significant commitment given that the total strength of CAPFs is just over 9 lakh, with roughly a third engaged in border duties.
