West Bengal assembly election 2026: ‘Why are senior officers being transf ...
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a strong criticism of the Election Commission of India, alleging that recent transfers of senior administrative and police officials in the state were carried out under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.ALSO READWest Bengal Assembly Election 2026: Mamata Banerjee backs out of Nandigram contest, sets up Bhabanipur showdown with Suvendu Adhikari
Speaking to reporters while unveiling the Trinamool Congress candidate list for the 2026 polls, the TMC chief questioned the timing of the reshuffle, especially with major festivals approaching.
“Why are senior officers being transferred just before Eid? Are there plans to trigger riots before elections?” she said.
Allegations over officer transfers
Banerjee claimed that the list of officials to be transferred was allegedly prepared by the BJP and later implemented by the Election Commission. She further alleged that personnel from outside the state had been brought in to assist the party during the electoral process.
“They have brought in some people from outside the state to help the BJP,” she said.
Accusing the poll body of bias, the chief minister said it was acting under political influence and criticised its functioning.
“They should directly campaign for the BJP,” she said.
Warning over law and order concerns
The TMC chief also alleged that the reshuffle of officers was aimed at easing the movement of money and arms in favour of the BJP during the election period.
“The officers have been replaced so that money and arms are smoothly transferred to the BJP without any hindrance,” she claimed.
Issuing a warning, Banerjee said any untoward incident during the elections would be the responsibility of both the BJP and the Election Commission.
“If something untoward happens, the BJP and the EC will be responsible. If something goes wrong, then they should be answerable,” she said.
The Election Commission had recently ordered the transfer of several key officials in West Bengal, including Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena. Senior police officers, including DGP Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar, were also removed.
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Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes set for May 4.
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