The Election Commission has finalised the deployment plan for another 240 companies of central forces to reach Bengal on March 10, continuing its focus on the bordering districts as it did during the first phase of deployment.

In the first phase, the Union home ministry had sent 240 companies of central forces to the state. They were deployed on March 1.

During the second phase, the EC decided to deploy 28 companies of forces in North 24-Parganas, taking the total number of companies of central forces in the district to 58. In the first phase, the EC had deployed 30 companies in North 24-Parganas.

In view of the deployment of central forces in two phases, Murshidabad would get a total of 38 companies, the highest after North 24-Parganas.

South 24-Parganas would get a total of 33 companies, Malda 18, Nadia 22, North Dinajpur 19 and South Dinajpur 10.

All these districts border Bangladesh.

“These districts have the majority of adjudication cases. If the supplementary lists (after the judicial officers verify names) do not include a majority of the voters, major trouble could emerge. Central forces could be used to tackle the situation if such a situation occurs,” said a poll panel source.

Another official said that while there was no major law-and-order issue after the final rolls were published on February 28, the situation could change if supplementary lists did not include a large number of voters facing adjudication. “The poll panel did not want to take any chance,” said a source.

Apart from the Bangladesh-bordering districts, Calcutta would get a total of 30 companies of central forces, East Midnapore 28, Hooghly 27, East Burdwan 25, Howrah and Birbhum 21 each.

“These districts get a significant deployment of central forces as they have areas where the minority population is higher. Given how political parties are using the situation to gain advantage ahead of the polls, the situation could turn violent anytime,” said a source.

Purulia and West Midnapore will get 20 companies each, West Burdwan 17, and Bankura 13.

Bureaucratic sources said that it was the first time in recent memory that central forces were deployed in Bengal even before the election dates were declared, attributing this hurry to the special intensive revision of rolls. “The situation in Bengal is charged up, particularly because political parties were not ready to calm down and help the situation settle,” said a source.