EC transfers Bengal Chief Secretary, DGP ahead of polls, sparking row
EC transfers Bengal Chief Secretary, DGP ahead of polls, sparking row
The Election Commission's move to transfer Bengal's top officials ahead of assembly elections triggers a political clash as parties trade accusations and defend constitutional institutions.
The Election Commission's decision to transfer West Bengal's Chief Secretary and DGP soon after the announcement of Assembly poll dates has triggered a political slugfest in Delhi. Opposition parties accused the poll panel of acting at the Centre's behest to tilt the electoral terrain, while the ruling party in Bengal hit back, calling it a 'step to destabilize' the state government.
In Parliament, voices from across the aisle weighed in. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that officers are routinely moved in states where the BJP is not in power, and questioned why similar action hadn't been taken in Uttar Pradesh during elections. He suggested that coordination with the Central Government and the Election Commission was at play.
The Election Commission announced that Bengal's 294-seat Assembly would go to two phases—April 23 and April 29—with results on May 4. The transfers included the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary, described as a measure to ensure 'level playing field' ahead of the polls.
Ruling party MPs from Trinamool Congress voiced strong objections. Sougata Roy called the move 'wrong' and 'a step against West Bengal,' while Kirti Azad accused the EC of functioning as an 'extended arm of the BJP.' Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose claimed the early-morning transfers showed the ECI was misusing its powers to damage the elected government. Critics warned the moves risk politicising constitutional institutions in the run-up to a high-stakes election.
