Subrata Gupta, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, known for his role as the Election Commission of India (ECI)-appointed special poll observer during the recent West Bengal Assembly polls, has been appointed as an advisor to the new Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari. Gupta’s successful implementation of ECI’s technology-driven polling transparency measures earned him praise from various quarters.
Following his duties as a special poll observer, Gupta was relieved by the ECI on May 7. Subsequently, upon Suvendu Adhikari assuming office as the Chief Minister, the state government announced Gupta’s appointment as his advisor. Gupta, a 1990 batch IAS officer from West Bengal cadre and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, was lauded for effectively utilizing technology and artificial intelligence to ensure fair and peaceful polling processes.
During the pre-election Special Intensive Revision (SIR) stage, Gupta’s adept use of technology and AI facilitated the identification and removal of illegal and fake voters, contributing to the electoral integrity. Despite accolades, Gupta faced criticism from former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress, who accused him of allegedly favoring the Bharatiya Janata Party’s agenda by selectively deleting minority voters from the electoral rolls.
In a parallel development, the West Bengal government appointed Subrata Bala, a 2017 batch IAS officer, as the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Bala, previously serving as the Additional District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas district, assumes his new role in the Chief Minister’s office.
