NEW DELHI: Announcing a major shake-up in West Bengal’s administrative and police brass within hours of announcing the poll schedule, the Election Commission ordered the immediate replacement of the state state chief secretary, director general of police (DGP), principal secretary (home) and Kolkata police commissioner, among others.EC’s overriding powers to shift officers directly engaged in the conduct of polls, stem from Article 324 of the Constitution, which places the entire poll machinery in an election-going state/UT under its “superintendence, direction and control” during the preparation of the electoral roll and conduct of elections to Parliament and state legislatures. West Bengal chief secretary Nandini Chakraborty was shunted out late on Sunday night along with principal secretary (home) Jagdish Prasad Meena. Both are seen close to the ruling party in the state. EC ordered that Dushyant Nariala, an IAS officer of 1993 batch be posted as chief secretary with immediate effect, and Sanghamitra Ghosh, an IAS officer of 1997 batch, as principal secretary, home and hill affairs.On Monday afternoon followed another set of transfers in the higher echelons of West Bengal police. DGP Peeyush Pandey was shunted out and 1992 batch IPS officer SIddh Nath Gupta brought in his place. Kolkata police commissioner Supratim Sarkar was replaced by Ajay Kumar Nand, IPS officer of 1996 batch. “Chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had, in the EC press conference on Sunday, assured that elections in West Bengal would be violence-free and peaceful. In pursuance of this objective, the EC has appointed/transferred senior police officials of the state, including the DGP and Kolkata police commissioner,” a senior EC official told TOI. Also making a change in the crucial post of ADG and IGP, law and order — with a direct role in curbing political clashes and violence as well as judicious deployment of security forces for poll security — the EC replaced the incumbent with 1995 batch IPS officer Ajay Mukund Ranade. Natarajan Ramesh Babu, a 1991 batch IPS officer, was ordered to be posted as DG, correctional services. The transfers — which are not unusual as EC has similarly replaced top officers in West Bengal during past Lok Sabha and assembly polls — evoked sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress in Parliament. TMC MP Derek O’ Brien announced a day-long walkout by the party MPs from Rajya Sabha in protest, even as parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju underlined that the poll panel had the constitutional authority to do so and alleged that the TMC has made it a habit to attack all constitutional bodies.
