In a lightning move following the announcement of the 2026 Assembly Election dates, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has replaced West Bengal’s Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and top police brass, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the DGP. Reacting to this major reshuffle, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari took a sharp dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that it is “impossible to conduct fair elections with her sycophants in power.”

Attack on the State Machinery: Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the transferred officials were acting as “cadres of the ruling TMC” rather than impartial public servants. “We had repeatedly informed the Commission about how these top-level bureaucrats were shielding the ruling party’s corruption and violence. The ECI’s decision to bring in neutral officers is a victory for democracy,” Adhikari remarked.

Warning to Remaining Officials: The BJP leader warned other officials that the “list of transfers is not over yet.” He emphasized that the ECI is closely monitoring lower-level officers as well to ensure a violence-free election. While the TMC called these removals a “political conspiracy by the BJP,” Adhikari maintained that this reshuffle was essential to end the culture of intimidation in Bengal polls.