The Union home ministry has decided to continue deploying 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces in West Bengal till June 20 at the request of the state government, PTI reported.A company of the Central Armed Police Forces has about 100 to 150 personnel.The West Bengal government had sought that the central forces’ deployment should be continued till the end of October for post-election duties, a communication from the home ministry stated.A communication addressed to the West Bengal chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police said that 200 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, 150 of the Border Security Force and 50 each of the Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal will remain deployed in the state till June 20, PTI reported.The forces were being retained mainly to assist the police in maintaining law and order in sensitive areas after the Assembly elections, the news agency quoted an unidentified state government official as saying.“The deployment is aimed at ensuring peace and preventing any untoward incidents in vulnerable areas,” the official said, according to PTI. “Coordination between the state police and CAPFs is continuing.”The Bharatiya Janata Party had won the West Bengal elections on May 4, ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule in the state. The BJP won 207 seats, while the TMC secured 80 constituencies.Ahead of the elections, the Election Commission had deployed 2.4 lakh Central Armed Police Forces personnel in the state. On April 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Central Armed Police Forces would remain deployed in West Bengal for at least 60 days after the elections.Despite the deployment, widespread political violence had been reported in the state after the results, including the killing of Chandranath Rath, an aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.Several instances of alleged communal intimidation and vandalism were also reported across the state.Amid the violence, the TMC had repeatedly alleged that the central forces deployed in the state had been instructed to “stand down and let [the violence] happen”.Petitions were also filed in the Calcutta High Court alleging post-poll violence in the state.Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.