In a recent move, the Election Commission of India (ECI) revoked the reassignments of several Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in West Bengal. These officers had been given new roles by the state government after the Commission removed them from their previous positions and prohibited them from election-related duties in the state. Following this decision, 15 IPS officers will now be transferred out of West Bengal to serve as police observers in other states conducting elections.
The list of affected IPS officers includes individuals like Akash Magharia, Alok Rajoria, Amandeep, Abhijit Banerjee, and others. Notably, Murli Dhar and Syed Waqar Raja held significant positions as Police Commissioners in specific regions. Opposition parties, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had been advocating for the removal of such officials to prevent any potential influence on the electoral process.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed dissatisfaction over the unilateral removal of bureaucrats and police officers without prior consultation with the state government. She had raised objections to this decision in a communication with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal are scheduled to take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, covering a total of 294 constituencies.
