As part of the Central forces, the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) will be deployed in West Bengal for election-related duties. The elite TSR, known for its past election duties in various states, will have ten companies with 778 personnel stationed in West Bengal. These troops are expected to reach the state on Saturday and will be deployed across different districts.
Voting for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4. Two ad-hoc battalions of the TSR, initially deployed in Assam, will now carry out election-related duties in West Bengal.
The TSR, categorized as India Reserve Battalions, is being deployed in Assam and West Bengal as part of the Central forces. Two senior Commandants, Amarjit Debbarma and Alok Bhattacharjee, will lead the TSR battalions in these states. The Tripura government was requested to provide 25 TSR companies for deployment in the two poll-bound states, but due to crucial elections within Tripura, only a limited number of personnel were spared.
The TSR, with 14 battalions, including 11 India Reserve Battalions, can be deployed nationwide as needed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. These personnel have a history of serving in various states during elections, including providing security during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Trained in counter-insurgency operations, TSR personnel have played a significant role in maintaining security in Tripura and other states.
