ECI expands Bengal crackdown, transfers 5 DIGs despite Mamata’s protest

In a letter to the Chief Secretary, the poll body directed the posting of Rathod Amitkumar Bharat, Ajeet Singh Yadav, Shrihari Pandey, Kankar Prosad Barui and Anjali Singh as DIGs of Raiganj Range, Murshidabad, Bardhaman, Presidency Range and Jalpaiguri respectively.

The postings are effective immediately, and a compliance report confirming the new DIGs' joining must be submitted by 11 am on March 19.

The ECI has also directed that the transferred officers will not be allowed to participate in any election-related work until the completion of the state polls.

The latest move comes after the ECI initiated a sweeping administrative reshuffle, removing Nandini Chakraborty as Chief Secretary of West Bengal and Jagdish Prasad Meena as Home Secretary within hours of the election announcement last Sunday.

Chakraborty was replaced by Dushyant Nariala, while Sanghamitra Ghosh was appointed Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs in place of Meena. Both Chakraborty and Meena have been barred from holding any election-related posts until the completion of the Assembly polls.

As the day progressed, the poll body carried out a broader reshuffle in the state’s police leadership.

Siddh Nath Gupta (IPS-1992) was appointed Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP), Natarajan Ramesh Babu (IPS-1991) as Director General, Correctional Services, Ajay Mukund Ranade (IPS-1995) as ADG & IGP (Law and Order), and Ajay Kumar Nand (IPS-1996) as Commissioner of Police, Kolkata.

Reacting strongly to the transfers, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday criticised the ECI for carrying out the rejig without consulting the state government.

Calling it a “super emergency,” Banerjee accused the poll body of acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is aiming to wrest power in the state for the first time.

“The BJP’s Commission is playing a brilliant game. Even before the election notification is issued, from the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DG, ADG (Law and Order), CP, and Commissioners to SPs, all have been changed. Why are you playing this game under BJP’s instructions from the backdoor? Play in the open. If needed, come and start campaigning for them now.

“However, I want to say that you can do whatever you want, carry out all your conspiracies against us, but remember that all officers working in Bengal are our officers,” the TMC supremo said.

The Assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with results scheduled to be declared on May 4.