Soon after announcing the schedule for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, the Election Commission of India ordered the removal and transfer of several senior bureaucrats in the state, triggering sharp political reactions from the ruling All India Trinamool Congress.
The poll panel recently confirmed that voting in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.
Senior Bureaucrats Transferred
Within hours of announcing the election dates, the Commission directed the state government to reshuffle several key administrative and police officials.
Among those removed from their posts was Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, who will not be assigned any election-related responsibilities during the poll process. The Commission appointed Dushyant Nariala, a 1993-batch IAS officer, as the new Chief Secretary.
In the police leadership, Director General of Police Peeyush Pandey has been replaced by Siddh Nath Gupta.
Similarly, Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar has been replaced by Ajay Kumar Nand.
The Commission also ordered the removal of Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena.
In addition, the Election Commission instructed the state government to appoint Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch IAS officer, as Principal Secretary in the Home and Hill Affairs Department.
In its official communication, the Commission stated that the transferred officials will not be allowed to handle any election-related responsibilities during the polling process. The state government was directed to ensure that the newly appointed officers assume charge immediately and submit a compliance report by 3 pm on Monday.
Political Reactions Intensify
The administrative reshuffle has sparked strong political reactions in the state.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the move and announced that she would lead a protest march at 4 pm on Monday against the Commission’s decision.
Meanwhile, members of the Trinamool Congress staged a day-long walkout in the Rajya Sabha, accusing the Election Commission of taking unfair action against the state government.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien criticised the Commission during proceedings in Parliament, stating that his party was protesting what it described as an unjust move.
Centre Defends Election Commission
Responding to the protest, Kiren Rijiju defended the poll body, emphasising that the Election Commission is a constitutional authority whose decisions must be respected. He added that questioning the Commission’s actions within Parliament was not appropriate.
TMC MP Shatabdi Roy also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to misuse government machinery to influence the elections.
Election Commission Stresses Fair Polls
The Election Commission, however, maintained that the administrative changes were made solely to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in the state.
Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had stated that the Commission is committed to conducting the elections in West Bengal in a transparent and violence-free manner.
With major administrative changes ordered and protests announced by the ruling party, the political atmosphere in West Bengal is expected to remain tense as the state heads toward the crucial April assembly polls.
