Election Commission Replaces Bengal's Top Cop, Chief Secretary Ahead Of Polls

Immediately after the announcement of the dates for the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission (EC) has undertaken a major overhaul of the state's administrative system. To ensure fair elections, the Commission has removed the current Chief Secretary of the state, Nandini Chakraborty, and Director General of Police (DGP), Piyush Pandey. The Commission has clearly directed that the removed officers will not be involved in any election responsibilities until the election process is completed. This decision was taken after reviewing the state's election preparations.

Siddhartha Nath Gupta, a veteran 1992-batch IPS officer, has been appointed as the state's new Director General of Police (DG & IGP). Gupta is considered a highly skilled and tough officer on the law and order front. He has over three decades of experience, having played a key role in controlling highly complex situations such as the Nandigram violence, the Naxalite uprising in Lalgarh, and the Gorkhaland movement in Darjeeling. His experience in handling communal tensions and riots in the state is considered crucial for security arrangements during the upcoming elections.

A reshuffle has been made at the top level of the state bureaucracy, including the police administration. Senior IAS officer Dushyant Nariyala has been appointed the new Chief Secretary of West Bengal. Furthermore, the Election Commission has ordered the appointment of Sanghamitra Ghosh as Principal Secretary (Home and Hill Affairs). The Commission has sternly instructed the state government to implement these appointments with immediate effect and ensure that the new officers assume their duties within the stipulated timeframe.

Several senior officers, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner, have been replaced.

This reshuffle has also reached the Kolkata Police Headquarters. Ajay Kumar Nanda has been appointed the new Kolkata Police Commissioner, replacing Supratim Sarkar. In addition, Natarajan Ramesh Babu has been appointed Director General (Correctional Services) and Ajay Mukund Ranade has been appointed Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order).

Elections in Bengal are scheduled to be held on April 23rd and 29th, with the results declared on May 4th. This move is being considered very important amid the ongoing tussle between the Election Commission and the state's Trinamool government on various issues for some time.