A day after the schedule for the Assembly elections in West Bengal was released, the Election Commission on Monday removed the state director general of police and the Kolkata police commissioner, PTI reported.
The poll panel appointed Indian Police Service officer Siddh Nath Gupta as the new director general of police, the news agency quoted an unidentified official as saying. Gupta will replace Peeyush Pandey in the post.
The official added that Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar has been removed and Ajay Kumar Nand has been appointed in his position.
Additionally, Natarajan Ramesh Babu has been named director general of correctional services, while Ajay Mukund Ranade has been appointed additional director general (law and order), the Hindustan Times reported.
In an earlier notice, the poll panel had removed Nandini Chakraborty from the post of chief secretary, appointing Dushyant Nariala in her place, The Indian Express reported. Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena was replaced by Sanghamitra Ghosh.
The official also told PTI that the Election Commission has directed that all the orders be implemented immediately and that the state government submit a compliance report by 3 pm on Monday.
Those transferred out of their positions should not be posted in any election-related assignment till the completion of the polls, the poll panel added.
The West Bengal election will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29 in the state. The results will be announced on May 4.
Trinamool Congress walks out of Rajya Sabha
In the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Trinamool Congress MPs walked out in protest against the Election Commission’s decision to remove top officials in the state, hours after announcing the schedule for the Assembly elections.
Raising the issue ahead of the Zero Hour in the Upper House, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said that “in the dead of night, the chief secretary, the principal secretary, the home secretary have been removed by the Election Commission”.
O’Brien added that the poll panel had all the power to do this. “They can also say that I am wearing a blue shirt and not a white shirt,” he said.
“In protest against what the chief election commissioner is doing, the Trinamool Congress is walking out for the day,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
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