In Kolkata, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has designated fresh District Magistrates for four regions in West Bengal. This action follows the ECI’s directive to dismiss the DMs of East Midnapore, East Burdwan, Jhargram, and Birbhum districts. The newly assigned officials include Joyoshi Das Gupta for Purba Medinipur, Moumita Godara Basu for Jhargram, K Radhika Ayer for Purba Bardhaman, and Shashank Sethi for Birbhum.
The individuals relieved of their duties, such as Bidhan Chandra Roy, Tanvir Afzal, Purnendu Kumar Majhi, and Sunil Agarwala, all belonged to the West Bengal Civil Service cadre. Previously, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had mandated the removal of West Bengal’s Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal, among other senior officials from various states.
The ECI had also instructed the dismissal of specific key officials in six states as part of a decisive action to uphold the principles of free, fair, and transparent elections. Home Secretaries in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand were asked to step down.
Moreover, the secretaries of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh were relieved of their duties. The DGP had come under scrutiny following criticism from the BJP and other opposition parties over alleged inaction by the Bengal police in addressing the grievances of Sandeshkhali’s victims. The Sandeshkhali locality had experienced unrest after female demonstrators demanded justice for purported atrocities committed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates.
In the meantime, the Election Commission had directed all state governments to transfer officials involved in election-related tasks, who had served three years or were stationed in their home districts. Maharashtra had not complied with the directives concerning certain Municipal Commissioners and additional/deputy Municipal Commissioners. Expressing dissatisfaction to the Chief Secretary, the Commission ordered the transfer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner and additional/deputy commissioners with instructions to report by 6 pm on that day.
Furthermore, the Chief Secretary was instructed to transfer all similarly positioned Municipal Commissioners and additional/deputy Municipal Commissioners of other Corporations in Maharashtra. This move was part of the Commission’s determination and commitment to maintaining a fair playing field and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, as emphasized by CEC Rajiv Kumar repeatedly, including during the press briefing for the announcement of the 2024 General Elections Schedule.
The Commission’s meeting, led by Rajiv Kumar and comprising Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, took place at noon that day. The officials dismissed in these seven states were found to hold dual roles in the office of the Chief Minister in their respective states, which could potentially compromise or appear to compromise the impartiality and neutrality required during the electoral process, particularly concerning law and order, force deployment, etc.
Through these actions, the Commission asserted that it had ensured all stakeholders maintained the highest standards of integrity and impartiality, thus preserving a level playing field throughout the electoral process.
