Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday ordered a major overhaul of West Bengal’s police leadership, transferring 19 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers ahead of the state elections. The move affects six Commissioners of Police (CPs) and 13 District Superintendents of Police (SPs), with compliance required by 11 a.m. on March 18.
The ECI also appointed 478 central observers, including 294 general observers—one for each constituency. Notable transfers include Dr Rajesh Kumar Singh (IPS: 1997) as ADG & IGP, South Bengal; K Jayaraman (IPS: 1997) as ADG & IGP, North Bengal; Pranav Kumar (IPS: 2003) as CP, Asansol-Durgapur; Akhilesh Kumar Chaturvedi (IPS: 2005) as CP, Howrah; Amit Kumar Singh (IPS: 2009) as CP, Barrackpore; and Sunil Kumar Yadav (IPS: 2009) as CP, Chandannagar.
New SPs include Pushpa (IPS: 2012) for Barasat PD; Jaspreet Singh (IPS: 2016) for Cooch Behar; Surya Pratap Yadav (IPS: 2011) for Birbhum; Rakesh Singh (IPS: 2014); Kumar Sunny Raj (IPS: 2017); Ishani Paul (IPS: 2013) for Diamond Harbour; Sachin (IPS: 2013) for Murshidabad PD; Alaknanda Bhowal (IPS: 2017) for Basirhat PD; Anupam Singh (IPS: 2015) for Malda; and Anishuman Saha (IPS: 2012) for Purba Medinipur.
The reshuffle has heightened friction between the ECI and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the assembly elections due next month. In February, the ECI removed 107 non-cadre officers from sensitive districts, prompting criticism from the ruling party.
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee accused the ECI of bias, stating on March 10, “They are hand-in-glove with BJP, targeting our workers while letting theirs roam free.”
Party MP Derek O’Brien echoed similar sentiments, tweeting last week: “ECI’s selective amnesia on BJP violations is shameful—another ploy to rig Bengal’s polls.”
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, said: “This police shuffle in our strongholds reeks of vendetta.”
