Within 24 hours of announcing the Assembly Election dates, the Election Commission (EC) has launched a massive administrative overhaul in West Bengal. After removing the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, the EC has now demanded a detailed report by 11 AM today on all police officer transfers executed since February 28. Furthermore, the EC has specifically asked whether any retired police officers have been re-appointed to official capacities.

The Commission has also set a 4 PM deadline today to submit the list of police officers (including SHOs and supervisors) who were in charge of police stations during the 2021 post-poll violence and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Areas that witnessed electoral violence are under special scrutiny, and the EC aims to identify the officials responsible during those periods.

This aggressive approach is aimed at ensuring a fair and peaceful election process for the two-phase voting on April 23 and April 29. With the new Chief Secretary, Dushyant Nariala, and Home Secretary, Sanghamitra Ghosh, taking charge today, the state administration is bracing for a strictly monitored election cycle leading up to the May 4 results.