West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal has been named as the new Chief Secretary of the state, as per an official notification. Agarwal played a crucial role in overseeing the recent Assembly elections in the state, known as one of “The Three Musketeers” along with poll observer Subrata Gupta and special police observer N.K. Mishra. Gupta has already been appointed as an advisor to the Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari.
Agarwal’s appointment as Chief Secretary follows speculations in the state government circles. His colleagues praise his calm demeanor and adept handling of challenging situations. Agarwal’s strategic planning led to the successful conduct of this year’s elections in just two phases, a significant improvement from previous years.
There is no official word yet on the new assignment for the outgoing Chief Secretary, Dushyant Nariala. However, sources suggest that Nariala might be transferred to a central deputation in New Delhi. Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer, was the preferred choice of the Election Commission of India for the Chief Secretary position from a panel of bureaucrats recommended by the state government.
