Kolkata, 17 March (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar expressing concern over the transfer and replacement of several senior state officials by the Election Commission of India soon after the announcement of the 2026 assembly elections.

In the letter dated March 16, Banerjee said the Commission issued orders on March 15 and 16 directing the transfer and unilateral placement of several senior officers of the state administration, including the chief secretary, the secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs department, the director general and inspector general of police, and other senior officials.

She said such “sweeping transfers” had been effected without citing any cogent reasons and without any allegation of violation, misconduct or lapse in relation to the conduct of elections.

Banerjee acknowledged that under Article 324 of the Constitution, read with provisions of the Representation of the People Act, officers engaged in election-related duties are deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission during the poll period and that the Commission has the authority to transfer or post civil and police officers involved in election duties.

However, she pointed out that historically, during previous elections, the Commission had exercised these powers in consultation with the state government as a matter of constitutional propriety and administrative convention.

“In practice, the Commission would request the state government to furnish a panel of three officers, from among whom it would select an officer to fill the vacancy arising from any contemplated transfer,” the chief minister said in the letter.

Banerjee also expressed concern that the heads of the administrative machinery in West Bengal had been removed within hours of the press release announcing the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections.

She said the decision appeared to have been taken in an arbitrary manner without seeking a panel of officers from the state government and without adhering to the established convention that has guided the functioning of the Election Commission and the state during previous polls.

The chief minister further said that such actions undermine the spirit of cooperative federalism and the principles of India’s democratic polity.

Banerjee urged the Commission to refrain from adopting such unilateral measures in the future, saying they risk diluting the long-standing legacy, credibility and institutional integrity of the Election Commission.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey