3X More Troops Than 2021: Why The EC Put West Bengal Under A Total Security Blanket!

West Bengal heads to the polls today for Phase 1 of the 2026 Assembly Elections under an unprecedented security blanket. The Election Commission has deployed a staggering 2.4 lakh Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel- triple the 2021 numbers to ensure peaceful voting across 152 seats. From a 96-hour liquor ban to strict night-time motorcycle curbs and "outsider" bans in coastal Digha, the restrictions are as massive as the deployment. With over 3.6 crore voters deciding the fate of 1,478 candidates, will these record-breaking measures silence the history of poll violence in the state?