EC shuffles senior Bengal officers, together with Chief Secretary, hours after asserting ballot schedule| India Information
The Election Fee on Sunday ordered quick switch of high Bengal officers, together with the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, hours after it introduced the schedule for state elections.
The sweeping actions comes after the Election Fee introduced the schedule of meeting elections for 4 states, together with West Bengal, and one UT. Bengal goes to polling in two-phases on April 23 and 29, whereas the counting of votes will probably be completed on Could 4.
Within the order launched late on Sunday, the ballot physique mentioned Dushyant Nariala, an IAS of 1993 batch, will probably be posted as Chief Secretary within the poll-bound Bengal. Nariala replaces Nandini Chakravorty who was appointed to the put up on December 31, 2025.
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The EC additionally introduced the removing of Jagdish Prasad Meena, a 2004-batch IAS officer, because the Principal Secretary, House and Hill Affairs within the state authorities. He will probably be changed with Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch officer.
The ballot physique mentioned that the instructions will probably be applied with quick impact and a compliance report concerning the becoming a member of of the above officers must be despatched by 3pm on Monday, March 16.
TMC, BJP react
The Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP in Bengal had been fast to react to the ballot physique’s transfer. Whereas the TMC took a swipe at EC, saying that it may trasfter officers to fulfill its boss, it can’t switch Mamata from hearts of the individuals.
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“EC is simply following orders to fulfill its boss. You may switch officers however can’t switch Mamata Banerjee from the hearts of the individuals,” TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty advised Hindustan Occasions.
BJP, then again, mentioned that the Election Fee ought to make sure that no officers with hyperlinks to the occasion must be a part of the election equipment within the state.
“Round 250 of our employees and members had been killed earlier than, throughout and after the 2021 meeting polls. We urged ECI to make sure that no officer having hyperlinks with the ruling occasion must be a part of the election equipment,” Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar mentioned.