• Source:JND
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Shortly after the announcement of West Bengal elecetion dates, the Elecetion Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a major administrative overhaul, removing several top-tier bureaucreats and polic officials from the Mamta Banerjee-led governmnet.

The ECI ordered the immediate replacement of the state’s Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and senior police leadership, acting under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The commission stated these changes followed a review of election preparedness aimed at ensuring a violence-free and peaceful polling process, as promised by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Key Appointments And Removals

Chief Secretary: Nandini Chakravorty has been replaced by Dushyant Nariala (1993-batch IAS). Chakravorty is to be kept away from all election-related duties.

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Home Secretary: Jagdish Prasad Meena has been replaced by Sanghamitra Ghosh (1997-batch IAS), who becomes the first woman to hold the post in Bengal.

Police Leadership: State DGP Peeyush Pandey has been replaced by Siddh Nath Gupta, while Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar has been replaced by Ajay Kumar Nand.

The ECI’s directive, signed by Secretary Sujeet Kr Mishra, mandated that the transferred officers must not be assigned to any poll-related positions until the elections conclude.

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Political Backlash And Protests

The move has triggered a fierce confrontation between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the central authorities.

Street Protests: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has scheduled a protest march for 4 pm on Monday to hit back at the Commission's decision.

Parliamentary Walkout: Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien staged a day-long walk from Rajya sabha. He said,"In the dead of night, the chief secretary, the principal secretary and the home secretary have been removed by the EC. They have all the power to do it".

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While MP Shatabdi Roy alleged that the BJP is misusing constitutional machinery and government resources to influence the polls.

Government Defense: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the ECI, noting that as a constitutional body, its decisions should not be questioned on the floor of the House.

Election Timeline

The administrative reshuffle comes just ahead of the two-phase voting schedule:

Phase 1: April 23

Phase 2: April 29

Results: May 4

The ECI demanded a compliance report regarding the new appointments by 3 pm on Monday to ensure the transition is immediate.


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