• Source:JND
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Just a day after announcing the Assembly election dates, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced a major administrative transfer in West Bengal, replacing the Home Secretary, Chief Secretary and top police officials. The decision, which replaced the top officials handling the administration of West Bengal, has irked the ruling Trinamool Congress. The decision has sparked a strong response from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

CM Banerjee has announced to demonstrate her objection through a protest as she is scheduled to hoit the streets at 4 pm. ECI has appointed a 1993 batch IAS officer, Dushyant Nariala, as the state's chief secretary, replacing Nandini Chakravorty. The ECI said that Chakravorty would not perform any poll-related assignments. West Bengal's Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena has been removed, announcing the appointment of Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch IAS officer, as Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs.

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Siddh Nath Gupta has been appointed as the DGP of West Bengal, replacing Peeyush Pandey, while Supratim Sarkar has replaced Ajay Kumar Nand as the Kolkata Police Commissioner.

"...the officers transferred out shall not be posted in any election-related posts till the completion of elections," the communication, signed by commission secretary Sujeet Kr Mishra and sent to the state government, read.

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To demonstrate its objection to the poll body’s decision, the TMC party staged a walkout during the Rajya Sabha voting in West Bengal. "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," Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien said, adding that his party was walking out for the day in protest.

Reacting to TMC’s protest, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that ECI is an independent body and questioning or protesting its decision in the house was not right.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, has assured the people of West Bengal that elections will be held in a peaceful environment without violence.


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