EC removes Mamata's chief secy, DGP ahead of Bengal poll

The Election Commission's move to transfer West Bengal's chief secretary and DGP soon after the announcement of Assembly poll dates triggered a political slugfest.

A day after the announcement of the West Bengal assembly poll schedule, the Election Commission on Monday removed DGP Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar, an official said.

The EC appointed senior IPS officer Siddh Nath Gupta as the director general of police, replacing Pandey.

The poll panel also appointed Ajay Kumar Nand as the Kolkata police commissioner, he said.

According to an official communication, the poll panel directed the state government to appoint Siddh Nath Gupta as Director General and Inspector General of Police (in-charge), while Natarajan Ramesh Babu has been named Director General of Correctional Services.

It also ordered the posting of Ajay Mukund Ranade as Additional Director General and IGP (Law and Order) and Ajay Kumar Nand as Commissioner of Kolkata Police.

EC Removes Home Secretary 

Earlier, the Election Commission removed two of the top bureaucrats, including Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, of the Mamata Banerjee administration.

The commission appointed Dushyant Nariala, an IAS officer of the 1993 batch, as the state's chief secretary, and said Chakravorty would be kept out of poll-related assignments.

The poll panel also removed West Bengal's Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena.

In a letter to the state government sent on Sunday night, the poll panel also directed the appointment of Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch IAS officer, as principal secretary, Home and Hill Affairs.

"...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, said.

EC Explains Decision To Remove Officers 

The EC said the decision to remove the two officers was taken following a review of the poll preparedness of the state.

The commission directed that the orders be implemented immediately and asked the state government to submit a compliance report by 3 pm on Monday, the official said.

The EC also said those transferred out of their positions should not be posted in any election-related assignment till the completion of the polls.

The reshuffle, unprecedented in West Bengal's recent administrative history, was enforced in the wake of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress dispensation's constant criticism of the poll body over the ongoing SIR exercise in the state.

Some corners of the state's political circles maintained that the move was carried out to ensure administrative impartiality during the elections.

The assembly polls will be held in the state on April 23 and 29, and votes will be counted on May 4.

Political Slugfest Over EC's Decision 

While the opposition parties accused the poll panel of acting at the behest of the BJP at the Centre, the saffron party hit back, alleging that the opposition was attempting to malign constitutional institutions.

Speaking to reporters inside the Parliament House complex, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that officers are routinely removed in states where the BJP is not in power.

"Whenever elections are held, and if the state government is not run by the party ruling in Delhi, the first thing they do is remove the DGP and the chief secretary. BJP leaders must have deliberately got these officers removed by coordinating with the Central government and the Election Commission," he alleged.

Referring to Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP is in power, Yadav questioned why similar action had not been taken there during elections.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the DGP was never removed during elections. Despite several complaints to the Election Commission, no action was taken. Even officers whose family members were contesting elections were not removed," Yadav said, alleging that the poll body was acting at the BJP's behest.

The Election Commission on Sunday announced that Assembly elections to the 294 seats in West Bengal will be held in two phases – April 23 and April 29 – with the counting scheduled on May 4.

Leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress also criticised the poll panel's move, with party MP Sougata Roy terming it "wrong" and "a step against West Bengal".

Another Trinamool MP, Kirti Azad, alleged that the poll body functions as an "extended arm of the BJP".

Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose claimed the transfers in the early hours showed that the Election Commission was misusing its powers to damage the elected government in West Bengal.

"The manner in which the Election Commission at 4 am transferred the Bengal home secretary and chief secretary shows it is misusing its powers to damage the elected government in Bengal. We have raised this matter in the House, and staged a walkout of Parliament for the whole day," she said.

Ghose also alleged that around 50 lakh people in the state were on the "adjudication list" and could be denied voting rights.

"The Election Commission is acting in a blatantly partisan manner. This will not work, and the people of Bengal will give a befitting reply," she said.

Hitting back at the opposition, Union minister Giriraj Singh said constitutional institutions are the greatest strength of India's democracy, and accused the opposition parties of trying to weaken them.

He also lashed out at the Trinamool, saying, "The TMC has no future in West Bengal. They may shout as much as they want, but people will not allow Bengal to become Bangladesh."

Former Union minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur also criticised the opposition parties, particularly the Congress, for allegedly tarnishing India's reputation and undermining democratic institutions.

"It is not the first time that officials have been transferred during elections. The Election Commission has always changed officers whenever it deemed necessary," he said.

Accusing the opposition of focusing on disruption rather than constructive participation in Parliament, Thakur claimed that its leaders frequently question constitutional bodies, including the judiciary and the Election Commission.

"The opposition's job has now become to create confrontation and obstruction in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi tries to launch a new propaganda narrative every day," he alleged.