In a major reshuffle in poll-bound West Bengal, which is set for assembly polls in two phases next month, the Election Commission has ordered the appointment of Dushyant Nariala as the new chief secretary, while Siddh Nath Gupta has been appointed as new DGP. Till now Nandini Chakravarty was the state chief secretary, while Peeyush Pandey was DGP of the state. In a letter to the state government sent on Sunday night, the poll authority has also directed the appointment of Sanghamitra Ghosh as principal secretary, Home and Hill Affairs, replacing Jagdish Prasad Meena.
“…the officers transferred out shall not be posted in any election related posts till the completion of elections,” the EC said . Kolkata Police Commissioner, Supratim Sarkar, has been also replaced by Ajay Kumar Nand.
Also Read | West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: TMC vs BJP – SWOT Analysis Of The 2026 Poll Fight
It said its directions are to be implemented with immediate effect and a compliance report in respect of joining of the officers should be sent by 03:00 pm on Monday.
TMC Stages Protest
All India Trinamool Congress MPs staged a day-long walkout from the Rajya Sabha on Monday to protest the EC’s decision. Speaking in the House, Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien criticised the move, saying, “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.” He added that his party would walk out of the House for the rest of the day in protest.
Responding to the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the poll panel, stating that the Election Commission of India is a constitutional authority and that questioning its decisions on the floor of Parliament was neither appropriate nor productive.
Meanwhile, Trinamool MP Shatabdi Roy alleged that the rival Bharatiya Janata Party was attempting to influence the elections by misusing government resources. “The BJP is using all tactics to win the elections. It is misusing government resources. The Chief Secretary was removed for this reason. The public is with the Trinamool,” Roy said.
The Election Commission, however, maintained that the decision to remove the officials was taken after reviewing the state’s preparedness for the upcoming Assembly polls.
West Bengal Assembly Elections
Assembly polls will be held in the state in April 23 and 29 and votes will be counted on May 4, the Election Commission announced on Sunday, setting the stage for a high-stakes political contest between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party led nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Also Read | West Bengal Poll Dates Out: Mamata’s DA and Priest-Muezzin Pay Hike vs PM Modi’s ‘Gundagardi Over’ Challenge
The contest is already heating up, with Banerjee announcing welfare measures such as clearing long-pending DA arrears and increasing honorariums for priests and muezzins, while PM Modi has stepped up his attack on the TMC government, accusing it of “gundagardi” and promising to restore the rule of law in the state.
The upcoming Assembly Election in West Bengal will be held in two phases. While 152 constituencies will go to polls on 23rd April, the rest of the 142 seats will go to polls in the second phase on April 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 4.
(With inputs from PTI)
