Agartala, April 11 (NationPress) In a strategic move, the distinguished Tripura State Rifles (TSR), part of the Central forces, is poised for deployment in the election-preparatory West Bengal, as confirmed by officials on Saturday.

A senior law enforcement official indicated that, at the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), ten TSR companies with a total of 778 personnel were dispatched to Assam, where elections for the 126-member State Assembly took place on April 9. Following the conclusion of polling in Assam, these ten TSR companies were transferred to West Bengal on Friday night, with their arrival anticipated on Saturday.

“Upon reaching West Bengal, the TSR units will be positioned across various districts,” the official informed IANS.

The voting for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is slated to occur in two stages—on April 23 (for 152 seats) and April 29 (for 142 seats). The vote counting is set for May 4.

The official also mentioned that two temporary battalions of the TSR, each consisting of five companies, were initially stationed in Assam and will now take on election-related responsibilities in West Bengal.

“The TSR (India Reserve Battalion) is being deployed in Assam and West Bengal as part of the Central forces,” the official elaborated.

Leading the TSR battalions are two senior Commandants, Amarjit Debbarma and Alok Bhattacharjee. The MHA had originally requested the Tripura government to allocate 25 TSR companies for deployment across the two states preparing for elections.

However, the state government expressed hesitance to release such a significant number of personnel due to upcoming key elections within Tripura itself—the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) polls and a by-election in the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in North Tripura district. The elections for the politically pivotal 30-member TTAADC are scheduled for April 12 (Sunday), while the by-election for the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency occurred on April 9.

The TSR operates with 14 battalions, 11 of which are designated as India Reserve Battalions. These units are ready for deployment in any state across the country when requested by the MHA.

During the Lok Sabha elections spanning from April 19 to June 1, 2024, TSR personnel were deployed for polling duties in Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh.

In addition to their role in securing the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, TSR’s India Reserve battalions have managed election duties in nearly all states, ensuring safety during both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Trained for counter-insurgency operations, TSR personnel have shown outstanding performance in Tripura, playing a vital role in suppressing the decades-long insurgency in the Northeastern region.

Currently, two TSR battalions, comprising approximately 2,000 personnel including officers, have been stationed in the national capital under the Delhi Police since 2019, and with South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) in Chhattisgarh since 2022.

In addition to these placements in Delhi and Chhattisgarh, one battalion is actively providing security at the drilling sites of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in Tripura.