The Election Commission of India appointed 15 IAS and 10 IPS officers from West Bengal as special roll observers for special intensive revision exercises in other states. These officers are required to undergo a two-day training session on February 5-6. Following the training, their deployment to specific states will be determined.
A dispute has arisen between the Election Commission and the ruling Trinamool Congress regarding the selection of these officers for special observer roles in other states. The Commission had to independently choose these officers as previous requests to the state government were disregarded.
Among the selected IAS officers is the state Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena, prompting questions from the Trinamool Congress about the Commission’s authority to appoint a state Home Secretary as an observer for another state. The Trinamool Congress criticized the Commission’s decision, alleging bias towards the BJP.
The Chief Electoral Officer’s office clarified that the Commission’s decision to appoint these officers was necessitated by the state government’s repeated non-compliance with earlier requests. The BJP, however, denied any involvement in the selection process, stating that the Commission’s actions were routine and not politically motivated.
