Kolkata: Days after West Bengal’s Assembly polls wrapped up, the Trinamool Congress unleashed a barrage of criticism against the incoming BJP administration for naming ex-Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the state’s chief secretary — a decision that has ignited fresh political fireworks, ANI reported.
The 1990-batch West Bengal cadre IAS officer managed the just-concluded elections in his CEO role, with his stint originally due to expire on July 31. An official notification from the West Bengal government, dated May 11, 2026, confirmed Agarwal’s immediate assumption of duties as chief secretary, pending further directives.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale took to X to blast the appointment, terming it “beyond shameless.” He charged that it proved “the BJP and the Election Commission of India were being open about stealing the election” and wondered whether the courts were “blind or complicit.”
Fellow TMC MP Sagarika Ghose piled on, labeling Agarwal the “so-called neutral umpire” now handed the premier bureaucratic job by what she termed the BJP dispensation in Bengal. She questioned: could the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections still be seen as free and fair?
TMC veteran Derek O’Brien, reacted with sarcasm, dismissing the timing as a “coincidence.”
These pointed attacks from senior TMC leaders reflected the party’s growing outrage over the timing of the appointment, with several social media posts warning of possible strain on electoral neutrality.
The row adds another layer of bitterness to Bengal’s already tense post-election mood.
West Bengal BJP hit back, insisting the choice adhered to protocol by promoting the cadre’s senior-most member. In its rebuttal, the party contrasted this with Mamata Banerjee’s past moves, which it accused of flouting bureaucratic hierarchy through repeated supersessions. The new government, it affirmed, has revived “the dignity of the laws of the land.”
BJP emphasized that installing Agarwal aligns squarely with its commitment to administrative integrity and procedural discipline.
