Kolkata, 02 May (H.S.):The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has appointed former West Bengal DGP-turned-Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Kumar as a counting observer for the upcoming Assembly election results on May 4, party sources said.

Kumar has been assigned charge of the Dum Dum-Barrackpore organisational district, as part of a broader strategy by the party to deploy observers across districts during vote counting.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee with party counting agents on Saturday, sources added.

According to party insiders, observers have been appointed district-wise to oversee counting operations and ensure coordination on the ground. Apart from Kumar, actor-MP Deepak Adhikari (Dev) has been given responsibility for the Ghatal organisational district, while June Malia has been assigned Medinipur.

The move mirrors a similar strategy adopted by the TMC during the previous Lok Sabha elections, when special observers were deployed in select constituencies.

The meeting also focused on briefing counting agents about the party’s strategy for counting day. The leadership urged workers not to be demoralised by exit poll predictions, claiming that such projections were aimed at influencing perceptions.

Kumar, who retired as the state’s Director General of Police on January 31, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the TMC on February 27 and took oath as an MP in March. This marks his first organisational assignment within the party.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey