The Congress party has criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India for recent administrative appointments in West Bengal. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh disapproved of the elevation of officials who played key roles in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The appointments of Manoj Agarwal as the new Chief Secretary and Subrata Gupta as Chief Adviser have sparked controversy.
Agarwal, an Indian Administrative Service officer from the 1990 batch, previously served as the Chief Election Officer overseeing the Assembly polls. Similarly, Gupta, also from the 1990 batch, was appointed as Chief Adviser to the Chief Minister after serving as the Special Roll Observer during the elections. Ramesh alleged collusion between the Election Commission and BJP, suggesting these appointments favored the ruling party.
The Congress leader claimed that the appointments indicated a compromised electoral process, with millions debarred from voting. He accused the Election Commission of failing to maintain impartiality and criticized the open display of connections between officials and political parties. Ramesh condemned the situation as a threat to democratic integrity, highlighting concerns of biased electoral advantages.
