The Election Commission has named 11 more police observers for the last phase of elections in Bengal on April 29.
The observers include one each for Calcutta North and South, three for South 24-Parganas, and two for North 24-Parganas. With this, the total number of police observers for the phase has risen to 95.
The phase will cover 142 constituencies.
The commission has also decided to deploy 273 companies of central forces in Calcutta — the highest among the 17 police districts and commissionerates — for the final phase.
Senior officers said this translates to around 27,300 central force personnel deployed across 10 divisions covering 91 police stations under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police.
“A company of central armed police force (CAPF) usually comprises 80 to 125 personnel, with an average operational strength of around 100 for election duties,” a senior CRPF officer said.
Sources in the Election Commission said the 11 police observers are senior IPS officers drawn from states such as Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
The poll panel has also written to Bengal’s director
of security, Manoj Verma, seeking a personal security officer (PSO) for each of these observers.
The three observers assigned to South 24-Parganas will oversee policing in Baruipur, Sundarbans and Diamond Harbour districts, covering more than 44 police stations, a senior state police officer said.
Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool’s national general secretary, is the MP from Diamond Harbour.
The 95 police observers will be empowered to seek reports directly from officers in charge of police stations on daily developments, poll preparedness and anti-crime measures.
“These observers will play a crucial role both before the polls and on polling day, and will be accountable for the proper utilisation of central forces,” the officer said.
The decision to deploy three observers to South 24-Parganas comes a day after the commission suspended five senior police officers of the Diamond Harbour police district, including additional superintendent Sandip Garai, sub-divisional police officer Sajal Mondal, and the inspectors in charge of Falta, Usthi and Diamond Harbour police stations.
They were suspended for “serious misconduct and failure to maintain neutrality during the West Bengal Legislative Elections, 2026”, an Election Commission order said.
The commission also issued a “warning” to Ishani Pal, superintendent of police of Diamond Harbour, for her failure to “ensure discipline and fairness on the part of her subordinates”.