Election Commission transfers Bengal poll officials in another bureaucratic shuffle

The Election Commission on Monday appointed Rahul Nath as Joint Chief Electoral Officer (Jt CEO) in West Bengal and removed Deputy CEO Subrata Pal as part of a broader administrative overhaul ahead of the Assembly elections.

The reshuffle extends across the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, with several senior officials transferred in a move aimed at tightening election management and ensuring neutrality.

In parallel action, the poll body on Sunday ordered the transfer of officers-in-charge and inspectors-in-charge of 173 police stations across the state, including 31 under Kolkata Police. Key constituencies such as Bhabanipur in Kolkata and Nandigram in Purba Medinipur were among those affected.

Soumitra Basu, earlier with the Special Task Force, has been posted as inspector-in-charge of Bhabanipur police station. The seat is set for a high-profile contest between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her former aide-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari.

Police stations in several other key areas — including Alipore, Ekbalpore, Haridevpur, Entally, Jorasanko, Gariahat, New Market, Bowbazar, Tollygunge, Amherst Street, Taratala and Behala — have also seen officer changes. In the districts, Debdulal Mondal has been posted as IC of Haldia, Kajal Dutta to Kolaghat, Susanta Chattopadhyay to Egra, and Chandrakanta Shasmal as OC of Patashpur.

The Commission has also ordered the transfer of 14 block development officers (BDOs) in Purba Medinipur, including those in Nandigram I and II blocks. Earlier, 83 BDOs and assistant returning officers were shifted across 18 districts, covering areas from Dinhata-II in Cooch Behar to Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas.

Districts impacted include Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East and West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, East and West Burdwan, and Birbhum.

Poll officials said such large-scale transfers are aimed at ensuring neutrality in law enforcement and maintaining a level playing field by minimising local influence during elections. The directives were issued from the Commission’s New Delhi office.

The moves come amid continuing friction between the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee-led government, which has repeatedly alleged that such reshuffles are politically motivated.

The 294-member West Bengal Assembly will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.