Mamata expresses shock over poll panel’s functioning in Bengal

Hours after criticising the Election Commission of India (ECI) for overnight transfers of top bureaucrats and IPS officers in poll-bound West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote again to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar , expressing “deep shock” over the functioning of the poll panel.

In her eighth letter to the CEC, Banerjee alleged that the ECI had “crossed all boundaries of decency and constitutional propriety” . She accused the poll panel of acting with “apparent bias” since the commencement of the Special Intensive Revision process and ignoring concerns raised by the state government.

Banerjee pointed to her government’s approach to the Supreme Court over the issue, noting that the court had acknowledged the concerns and issued directions that are currently being implemented.

The chief minister expressed serious concern over the “unilateral” transfers of several senior state officials, including the chief secretary, home secretary, DGP, district magistrates, and police officers , immediately after the announcement of assembly elections. She said these moves were made without cogent reasons and in the absence of any violations of electoral rules or the Model Code of Conduct , suggesting a mala fide intent behind the actions.

Banerjee also questioned the ECI’s decision to deploy state police officers as observers in other poll-bound states, describing the move as arbitrary and a misuse of authority , and indicating a serious overreach by the Commission.

The chief minister warned that the sudden removal of senior officers could adversely impact governance, disaster response, and law and order , particularly during the storm-prone months of March and April . She emphasised that such biased, hasty, and unilateral decisions are unprecedented, undermine the spirit of cooperative federalism , and could create conditions akin to an emergency or indirect central rule .

The elections for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases, on April 23 and 29 , with vote counting scheduled for May 4 .