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Indian assembly elections: Commission reshuffles West Bengal officials
The Election Commission of India is also scrutinising other lower-ranked officials in the state, besides police and administrative officers, to have free and fair election
- PUBLISHED: Mon 16 Mar 2026, 5:32 PM
The Election Commission of India (ECI) replaced two of West Bengal’s top bureaucrats, hours after announcing the election schedule for West Bengal and other states. The two top bureaucrats included the chief secretary and the home secretary of the state.
An ECI official told the media on Monday that more officials will be removed soon. “We are determined to ensure violence-free elections in Bengal,” he said. “To ensure that, we will go to any length and replace any officers we deem necessary. Lower-level police personnel and administration officers sometimes take an important role in conducting free and fair elections. We will bring strong and transparent officers in those posts as well.”
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The ECI was also scrutinising other lower-ranked officials in the state, besides police and administrative officers, on Monday. The ECI asked West Bengal for other details relating to officials who were transferred after February 28, 2026.
Protesting the ECI’s moves, Derek O’Brien, member of the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in the state, walked out of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, on Monday, along with other party members.
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The state will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29, as against eight phases in the previous election.
On Sunday, the ECI unveiled details relating to elections to the assemblies in crucial states including Keralam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam and in the union territory of Puducherry. While voting in Keralam, Assam and Puducherry will be on April 9, in Tamil Nadu it will be on April 23 and in West Bengal in two phases on April 23 and April 29, chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Sunday.
A total of 174 million electors are entitled to exercise their right at 219,000 polling stations across 824 assembly constituencies. Over 2.5 million officials will be on duty during the exercise, said Kumar.
In Keralam, the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will attempt a record third consecutive term in government. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who will be 83 in May, is leading the group. In 2021, it won 99 of the 140 seats, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) got 41. The BJP did not win any seats, but is determined to make a break this time, with Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi asserting during his campaign that the party hopes to dismantle the 70-year domination of the state by the Left and Congress.
In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, the chief minister of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance is seeking a second consecutive term. The BJP has allied with the AIADMK, while a third front has emerged with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam hoping to cash in on his popularity. In 2021, the DMK won 133 of the 234 seats and with its allies ramped it up to 159. The BJP got just four seats.
West Bengal will also see a bitter war between Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which is hoping for a fourth straight consecutive term, and the BJP, which is again determined to dislodge it. In 2021, the Trinamool won 213 of 294 seats, and the BJP could get just 77. The Congress, which has been sidelined in the state, had drawn a blank last time and is not hopeful of any significant change this time.
Assam sees the BJP-led alliance seeking a third consecutive term under chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The alliance had won 75 of the 126 seats in 2021. In Puducherry, the AINRC-led NDA won 16 of 30 seats in 2021. The ruling BJP coalition will be defending against DMK-Congress opposition.
