CAPF Companies To Begin Returning To Tense Manipur After April 29 Polling In West Bengal

Last Updated:April 24, 2026, 14:21 IST

Manipur has witnessed multiple violent incidents in recent weeks, including targeted killings and attacks that have heightened fear among communities.

Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies that were redeployed from Manipur for election duties primarily for West Bengal are set to begin returning to the fresh violence-hit northeastern state from April 29, according to a top-level official.

Nearly 30 per cent of the security personnel stationed in Manipur had been temporarily withdrawn in recent weeks to support the conduct of elections primarily in West Bengal. “Around 85 companies (8,500 personnel) were sent from Manipur in view of conducting elections. There were over 275 companies of CAPFs deployed in Manipur. These companies that were sent out will start coming back expectedly from 29th April," a top-level Manipur government official told News18.

The state has been grappling with renewed tensions and sporadic incidents of violence across several districts.

Officials said the phased return of forces is expected to bolster ground security and assist local law enforcement in stabilising affected areas. “The situation has remained sensitive, and the return of CAPF units will strengthen confidence among civilians," another senior official noted.

Manipur has witnessed multiple violent incidents in recent weeks, including targeted killings and attacks that have heightened fear among communities. Among the victims were civilians, including children, as well as personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF), underscoring the seriousness of the unrest.

Over the past two weeks, all three major communities, Meitei, Kuki-Zo, and Naga, have been drawn into fresh violence, protests, and confrontation with security forces, pushing the northeastern state back into acute instability.

This is different from the earlier situation in Manipur.

Since May 2023, Manipur’s conflict had broadly pitted the Meitei community, dominant in the Imphal Valley, against the Kuki-Zo tribes of the surrounding hills. The Naga communities, concentrated in the northern districts, had largely maintained a position of uneasy neutrality.

Security officials have pointed out that the temporary reduction in central forces have contributed to operational challenges, particularly in vulnerable zones, while state police and remaining central units continued operations.

Authorities, however, have maintained that the redeployment was necessary to ensure peaceful elections in West Bengal, a state that traditionally requires heavy security arrangements during polling periods.

With the election process nearing completion, attention is now shifting back to Manipur.

News india CAPF Companies To Begin Returning To Tense Manipur After April 29 Polling In West Bengal

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