A new petition has been submitted to a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court regarding the Election Commission of India’s recent decision to transfer 83 Block Development Officers (BDOs) and 184 Inspector-rank police officers in West Bengal. The petitioner’s counsel, Kalyan Banerjee, a four-time Trinamool Congress MP, has requested an expedited hearing on the matter. The Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, has accepted the petition, with a hearing expected later this week.
This marks the second petition filed at the Calcutta High Court concerning the transfers and deputations of bureaucrats and police officers from West Bengal to other states as directed by the ECI. The first Public Interest Litigation (PIL) focused on the transfers of senior and mid-level officials, with the court reserving its judgment after concluding hearings last week. During the previous PIL hearing, the ECI’s representative clarified that officer transfers were based on specific state requirements to ensure a fair and peaceful electoral process.
The ECI’s counsel emphasized that decisions on officer transfers were made in accordance with the unique needs of each state where elections were being held. The petitioner’s counsel, however, criticized the ECI for allegedly exerting undue influence over bureaucrats and police officers even before the Model Code of Conduct was enforced in West Bengal. Questions were raised about the extent of the ECI’s authority to unilaterally transfer, replace, or depute officials as it deems fit.
